The influx of digital technologies and applications has caused a massive shift in the way businesses manage their operations, and as a result, IT professionals are tasked with developing flexible solutions to accommodate their respective organization’s digital transformation. As the business landscape becomes increasingly fluid, an organization’s growth and market share becomes largely contingent on the business user’s ability to effectively respond to this real-time innovation. Implemented properly, new digital solutions can open up avenues through which IT can increase business value.
In an effort to manage customer and business user demand, IT must adapt to the real-time and fast-moving pace of the business environment. It is crucial for IT to implement these user-level changes, as they drive innovation and provide a firm understanding of what end-users actually need. To underscore this, Gartner recently issued a report stating that by 2017, 70 percent of successful digital business models will rely on the unstable and unpredictable shifts of customer needs. These continual shifts in end user needs directly correlate with how IT professionals will need to structure an organization’s practices. In addition, Gartner explains that businesses must continually keep abreast of timely developments, as newly incorporated digital business initiatives will deliver less than six months of quantifiable differentiation.
However, organizations can’t simply jump into a fully integrated environment. IT must be mindful of existing infrastructure and prepare accordingly. Another aspect enterprises need to consider is that many business users might be left behind as they lack the initial ability to utilize newly integrated applications. To successfully maximize the benefits associated with a digital business strategy, organizations should invest in training and education for employees, and hire talent capable of leveraging these new technologies.
In order to manage the exponential rates of technological change and incorporate a digital strategy, IT should also implement a bimodal approach. Bimodal refers to two modes of IT: the first is a traditional, systematic approach, while the second encompasses speed and agility. While it may initially be challenging to develop two fully functional modes for IT to operate within, it is essential that IT organizations develop the capability to empower end users with the ability to respond to the real-time nature of digital business.
To best assist organizations in their implementation of a digital business strategy, IT professionals should integrate updated protocols to account for any transition-based risks. The longer IT waits to update their practices, the more likely they won’t be able to keep up with existing and new competition. As technology alters every industry, it is crucial IT professionals develop a strong foundation to support the digital business transformation and promote future success.