Why data should be front and centre to your organisational transformation.
Whatever the driving reasons behind your organisation’s transformation program, a dedication to data will help you realise your targeted future state. In part 1 of our Organisational Transformation series, we highlight why organisations should lead with this approach.
Organisational Transformation
Why do organisations undertake transformation programs?
Organisations invest in transformation because they recognise change is needed across their organisation to be ready for their ideal future state.
Smart leaders realise that a strategic approach will shift their organisation from its current state to where it needs to be – to be competitive, efficient, effective, compliant, financially viable, a market leader, or an attractive employer, in the future.
Recent global events have forced most organisations into rapid change, but it doesn’t take a pandemic, war, or change of government for successful business leaders to review and question best practice, and to look for opportunities and continuity for their organisation.
Organisational transformation sets up an organisation for longevity.
Data Driven Transformation
Why you should think about data first.
Data is one of an organisation’s most valuable assets.
Data informs an organisation about its own performance, culture, and clients, as well as providing information about its competitive market, the services it provides, external influences, and potential clients.
Once the objectives of a transformation program have been identified, and any changes to business objectives confirmed, assessing data requirements is a valuable next step.
Understanding how to uplift data capabilities to achieve identified objectives will allow you to incorporate essential elements into your organisational transformation project, such as creating a Data Roadmap or a new data strategy.
Thinking about data will not only result in your organisation having better access to data and the information it provides moving forwards, it will positively influence the success of other key transformation focuses such as people, processes, and technology.
Utilising Existing Data
Your insight into your current state.
Existing data shows the current health of your organisation. It provides insight into your organisation’s performance, people and processes.
Existing data enables evidence-based decision making, and helps set future state targets and measures.
And the additional data that you wish you had when you’re analysing your existing data, will drive some of your organisational transformation plans.
It’s vital to understand what you have, to determine what you need.
And whilst we may have existing data that we analyse, the transformation may require new capabilities and data. For example, at the end of the transformation we may want to be able to predict certain events, but at the moment we don’t have the necessary data and capabilities, so we need to work out how to acquire those.
Uplifting Data Capabilities
Boost your organisation’s future.
Uplifting data capabilities is likely to be part of your organisational transformation.
As you consider enhancing client outcomes, increasing productivity, increasing staff satisfaction, and improving outcomes for stakeholders, your data capabilities wish-list will emerge.
Keeping data front of mind when undertaking organisational transformation means that you will be prepared to address the following at an early stage … not down the track when it is too late. Vital considerations –
- Knowing the data you have, and the data you need in future, and how you will obtain this.
- Data governance, and the associated roles and responsibilities.
- Data architecture capabilities, and how it supports the transformation.
- Reporting and analytical requirements.
- The data capabilities of your staff that will be required in future, and how they will be met.
- Required data and analytical tools and platforms.
Early consideration allows you to prioritise projects and determine dependencies during the transformation program. Managers and executives can plan and budget for new technology, training, and make allowances for emerging opportunities.
Next Steps
Do you need help preparing for organisational transformation?
Our big tip is that data should be front and centre to your organisational transformation.
Thinking about data from the outset will save you time by ensuring you make the best use of existing data and plan for investments in uplifting data capabilities.
In our next article, we’ll share what a transformation program can look like, with data as a key pillar. We’ll refer to tools that can be used to ensure data is well-considered throughout your organisational transformation.
Meanwhile, if you are planning organisational transformation, or recognise that you need help addressing oversights in your current transformation program, speak with a member of our Data Agility team.
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