Digitisation helps companies to become more powerful and efficient – this is well known. But how can it be that after transferring paper lists into digital formats and mapping workflows into software-based systems, frustration still reigns? Perhaps an important basic consideration was forgotten at the beginning.
Challenge the status quo
I often see digital solutions that do not improve business performance after they have been introduced. This means that despite digitalisation, processes have not become more customer-oriented, are not carried out faster and the acceptance of the new solution has not increased. In other words, the “ranting” about the “new” solution is still just as present as before. Often this is because moving from an analogue world to a digital one does not solve the fundamental problem. Because even inadequate approaches can be mapped digitally. To avoid this, you should put the status quo to the test at the beginning of your digitisation.
The same applies to the evaluation of data and information within the framework of your business intelligence. Always put to the test whether your data quality is sufficient for gaining the desired information.
To summarise:
Poor analogue processes + digitalisation = poor digital processes
Poor data basis = Poor information = Poor basis for decisions
or: Shit-in-Shit-Out
Therefore, always question the current status in your project. Especially if the last update of the underlying process was a while ago. It does not matter whether your project is a digitisation project, an improvement project or a data evaluation project.
Kill two birds with one stone
If you question from the beginning whether you are collecting or digitising the right information, you will benefit in two ways. First of all, the transfer of lean processes into the digital world is usually more cost-effective. This is because the development and testing effort increases when their process involves many interfaces and information. You should therefore completely visualise and optimise the current actual process once. This creates clarity about the scope of digitisation and allows for clean delineation and scaling.
You can compare this procedure with moving house. You have two options when it comes to transporting your inventory. You can either pack everything in boxes and take it with you to the new building. You may eventually find that you never unpack some boxes or that their contents lie unused somewhere. The alternative would be to get rid of old things first and then pack the moving boxes. This way you reduce the number of parcels you need and possibly reduce your transport costs.
This approach also has a positive effect on acceptance within your organisation. A common reason for a negative attitude in change processes is negative experiences from previous projects. These arise, for example, when projects do not lead to a perceived improvement among those involved in the process. If you scrutinise your processes and data, you will also quickly discover which groups and individuals are particularly affected. You should think about involving these people in the project, or at least capture their opinion on the status quo. If you succeed in taking the requirements of the key process participants into account within the scope of your project, this will help you to eliminate currently existing weaknesses and increase the acceptance of the new solution.
Recommendations for action for a better start
Before you start thinking about which data format or software is best suited to digitise and improve your business processes, you should take a close look at your existing processes and data. Get rid of old burdens. Even if these were justified in the past, this does not necessarily mean that this is still the case today. Don’t let thoughts like “Someone must have thought of something” or “It’s just the way it is” stop you from following up. The view from outside can be a valuable addition here. For example, bring people from completely different divisions or sectors into the team if you have the opportunity to do so.
Check whether what you are about to translate into the digital world meets the following criteria:
- The process to be digitised is clearly and meaningfully delineated
- You know which of your business objectives the underlying process is aimed at
- The recorded information or work steps are target-oriented
- You know and can justify why the data and information collected is needed
- The required data can be collected as effortlessly as possible
- The people involved in the process are indispensable to the process
- Any group of people who need information will receive it.
- Groups that do not need the information are not burdened with it
Image source:
deagreez/ stock.adobe.com
