How to overcome digital transformation challenges

A huge joy and pain point of digital transformation is the variety of products and services available. It can be very easy to be led by the tech – to find a great tool, feel that it ticks a few transformation boxes, and start thinking that it is the whole solution. Implementation gets fast-tracked, people are excited – but when you fast forward a few months, no one is using the tool.

 

Unless charities really get into understanding the most difficult strategic challenges that they face and the tricky bits of the digital transformation process, it can be easy to stray off course. In this article, we explore the seven key steps to ensure smooth transitions towards your digital goals.

 

 

Identify the challenges to digital change

 

Technology evolves far faster than humans, so it’s no wonder that the pace and nature of technological change can feel uncomfortable. Being aware of this and the other barriers to digital change in your charity is the first step in addressing and overcoming them. These might include cost, capacity, or skills.

 

 

Follow a clear organisational strategy

 

Any digital transformation work that takes place must stick solidly to the charity’s larger impact strategy. If everyone involved knows where a charity is heading and their own role and responsibilities for getting there, making digital changes in line with those broader goals will be easier. It will be obvious why digital transformation is needed to help meet the charity’s goals.

 

 

Build a positive digital culture

 

Most digital transformations fail, with the top reason being resistance from staff. Before beginning a process of transformation, take the time to listen to everyone’s concerns. Use them to help shape and improve your digital transformation plans.

 

People on your team might be worried about their lack of digital skills, being replaced by a bit of software or missing out on the face-to-face contact with beneficiaries that drives them. Addressing these concerns in the process and in the way you talk about the digital transformation will help to make it more successful.

 

 

Grow everyone’s digital skills

 

If you have low levels of digital skill and understanding throughout the organisation, communicating digital transformation goals and reporting on them will be far more difficult. When staff have been supported to make sure they have the digital skills and tools to do their jobs to the best of their ability, they will already understand the benefits of digital transformation.

 

And more than that, they will believe in their own ability to be part of a digital workplace and worry less about being left behind.

 

You can conduct a digital skills audit to assess where there are skills gaps for your current processes and systems and ensure that those are filled before you go through a more focused process of transformation.

 

 

Invest in the right digital infrastructure

 

IT infrastructure is critical to the success of digital transformation. It must be able to support the solutions that you want to implement. This means ensuring that your staff and hardware set-up can continue to meet your needs. For example, the adoption of new digital tools also drives change in the support services needed from in-house IT teams.

 

IT will be the first port of call for implementing and supporting digital transformation so their involvement from the start and advice on infrastructure will be critical. If they say they need a bigger team to support an ambitious digital transformation project, they need a bigger team!

 

 

Take security seriously

 

Information security is critical to all organisations, especially those handling sensitive data. Digital transformation leaders should make it a priority to plan for achieving the high level of information security required for digital change.

 

Once in place, security systems should be tested regularly. Information security also extends to data protection when capturing, storing, and using data from the public, so it’s something that people in all areas of the organisation should have some knowledge of.

 

 

Make the transition

 

To make an effective digital transition, charities need to be agile. This means coming together regularly to "design as you go". Identifying issues with the transformation as they come up and working together to resolve them with the end goal – to better support the people you exist to serve – in mind.

 

It’s also important to tie the digital transformation process in with other vital processes like annual planning and budget-setting.

 

Everyone should feel that they are part of the process, whether they are working on it directly or not. All staff should be hearing about it regularly and having their questions and concerns listened to and answered.

 

Successful digital transformations keep coming back to the organisational "why". Charities exist to solve a problem: how does your digital change help with that?