FACT CHECKED
In today’s world, businesses need to adapt to global market trends, and the trend taking center stage is companies shifting towards digital transformation. Becoming a digital transformation leader does not occur overnight. It begins by understanding where your company is in the cycle of digital transformation, defining the goals of the company, and forecasting the changes to be implemented.
Consisting of four separate facets, companies looking to become digital transformation leaders need to focus their efforts on technology, data and information, process, and organizational change. Companies that understand the importance of adopting this forward-thinking strategy are more equipped to handle our ever-changing business environment, and it all begins with the right digital transformation leader—but what exactly is digital transformation?
What is Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation refers to a blend of business, innovation, and modernity. It means integrating and coordinating different technologies across any and all facets of business from finance, marketing, customer service, human resource management, and more.
Initiating the change on behalf of the company, digital transformation leaders, as the name suggests, lead the transformation of the company into the digital age. They attempt to execute modifications in the policies, environment, and working processes at different levels of the organization to integrate, coordinate, and catapult outdated processes into the future.
The digital transformation process is normally led by a chief information officer (CIO) who is responsible for outlining the organization’s digital change. They begin by harmonizing all of the organization’s departments, creating a strong foundation on which the company can achieve its goals and objectives.
Once the stage has been set, a typical digital transformation leader will make crucial decisions on everything from the reassessment of technology usage to the responsiveness of employees to change, customer satisfaction levels within digital mediums, and others based on your industry, business challenges, and goals.
Important Questions to Ask a Digital Transformation Leader Before Hiring
Choosing the right digital transformation leader for your company can make or break the transformation your company is attempting to undergo. It is highly recommended to come prepared with a list of important questions to ask digital transformation leaders before hiring one for your company, and here are some of the questions you should consider.
Important Questions to Ask Prospective Leaders
- How would you describe digital transformation in a practical sense?
- What are the factors or elements that push digital transformation?
- What are the societal impacts of digital transformation?
- How have different factors affected your role as a digital transformation leader?
- What are the different strategies you normally apply for digital transformation?
- What are some practical situations or examples of digital transformation?
- What hurdles does a digital transformation leader face on the road to digital transformation?
Apart from the aforementioned questions, more specific queries directly related to your company should be on-hand—such as the technical knowledge required, advice or suggestions, the right digital adoption platforms to implement, and others more directly related to your company’s niche.
The Must-Have Qualities to Look for in Digital Transformation Leaders
- Strong technical knowledge and expertise
- Confidence in themselves as well as the company’s digital change initiatives
- A clear vision of what they want to accomplish and the stages to get there
- Be an outside-the-box thinker who enjoys competitive environments
Digital Transformation Within the Finance Sector & Financial Departments
Big data systems are becoming the ‘new oil’ in many different fields and this is especially evident in the finance sector. One of the most heavily affected by digital transformation, the field of finance is reliant on copious sets of timely data. How firms acquire this data, how quickly they are able to collect and analyze this information and make decisions accordingly, is vital for the creation of competitive money management strategies. When it comes to the financial sector, the adoption of the appropriate digital transformation strategy will ultimately make or break companies—and it all starts with asking the right questions.
Important Questions to Ask Digital Transformation Leaders for Finance
- Do you feel that the finance function is lagging in terms of the pace of evolution of digital transformation?
- What are the major obstacles a digital transformation leader and company face in the finance area in the change process?
- What are the recent and trending changes in the digital transformation world, especially in finance?
- Why is digital change crucial in a company’s finance department?
- How does a digital transformation leader use artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) in the finance department of the company?
This is just the beginning of the many questions you should be asking from a digital transformation leader as it is a lengthy and challenging process to collect valuable insights on financial transformation otherwise.
Digital transformation leaders gather all the relevant technologies that can be applied within a company’s existing infrastructure. They then compare the actual results with the expected standards delivering actionable insights into the progress of the company. These changes are then analyzed to improve future digital transformation attempts.
In-Depth Insights Through Case Studies
Companies and budding digital transformation leaders must ask relevant case study interview questions to gain practical insights about technological integrations. Learning through the mistakes and accomplishments of other companies is a time-tested method that warrants unparalleled results. The practical examples of real companies, the difficulties they faced, and how they overcame them should be studied for the most successful change management process.
Application of Strategies & Tactics in Digital Change
Digital leaders employ several strategies to accelerate the transformation process and overcome any hurdles they may reach along the way. It is crucial to understand how your digital transformation leader thinks of a plan and, more importantly, the performance indicators they rely on to understand if it worked.
Responsible for making decisions on digital marketing campaigns, digital transformation leaders use different digital assets including various tools and media to draft strategies portraying the digital brand image of the company. Ask the transformation leader questions to gain insights about these tools and how they are used. Understand not only successful strategies from leaders but also instances that failed for a true 360-degree picture. A failure’s processes and results will teach valuable lessons and can act as a warning for future endeavors.
One of the essential questions to ask while discussing strategies with a digital transformation leader is: What change(s) do they believe we will see in digital media in the coming years, and how will these changes affect current strategies?
Final Thoughts
The blend of technology and business has been the talk of much debate for years. Digital transformations are happening at an alarming rate across industries, and businesses assisting with this digital adoption are popping up everywhere to fill the growing need. With artificial intelligence and the constant innovation of smart technologies changing the business landscape, digital transformation leaders are ready to understand company cultures and create plans to change company dynamics that will launch them into the future. Don’t fall behind, start your digital transformation now to get ahead of the competition and make an impact this 2022.
