How to go about a digital transformation

What do you actually want to be transforming?

When thinking about a digital transformation, organizations often have a way too narrow picture in mind what their (digital) transformation is supposed to look like. We find that most often, organizations just consider changing their digital channels, or improving on their internal processes. While those aspects are potentially important parts of a digital transformation, we would like to invite you to think about a much broader picture!
Please consider the UNITE Business Model Canvas as a starting point: which aspects would you like to focus on as part of your digital transformation? Which aspects are likely to yield the best results, also taking into account the efforts involved to transforming those?


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In the same context, also consider your operating model to greater depth: which aspects are you expecting to yield the best outcomes?



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Importantly, when you work on your operating model and the related cost model, you are more likely to get more limited results. If you want to tackle a full-scale digital transformation, consider also your offering – the value and service model – as well as your experience model! These areas typically yield much greater potential.

4. What is your main strategic intention and objectives for your digital transformation?

We find that more often than not, organizations lack a precise strategic direction for their digital transformation and thus are lacking a definition of where they would like to be going.
This is one of the key problems we see on numerous transformative exercises, since without a clear direction, you will not get anywhere. So let’s clarify what a strategy is really all about.

1. What is a strategy to start with?

Strategy is often misunderstood, which is surprising because fundamentally it is a pretty basic concept. Strategy is a clearly expressed direction and a verified plan on how to get there.


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Many strategies are really just ambitious goals, such as achieving market leadership in five years or being the go-to solution to such and such problem. However, as team members and customers increasingly seek to align themselves with organizations that resonate with their purpose and values, such lofty goals fall short of making sense to anyone (but perhaps shareholders). Organizations today need to go beyond growth ambitions and answer a deeper “why“.
Equally critical, organizations often fail to define how they will get there. Having a tested and confirmed plan for achieving your goal is essential and is required for any kind of credibility. Without clarity on how to make an organizational direction a reality, a strategy is not worth the paper it is written on.