You might not consider what you are doing as digital transformation
I just had lunch with a client to talk about a very successful project – that is always the best circumstance in which to have a lunch. As we talked and he described the next steps for the project we had been working on it became apparent that he was describing a digital transformation project. He hadn’t seen it that way, it was just a digital project to him.
Our role was to provide the user research before and usability testing during the development of a new website. The next step for the project was to start utilising the digital capabilities downstream which would impact business process and organisation structure. But of course don’t most digital projects these days impact business process and people? isn’t that why service design has such momentum?
I see a lot of digital projects being run by our clients that are transformational but not referred to as digital transformation projects. I think that matters because some organisations are stuck with silos that diminish the benefits that transformation would offer them.
For example, we regularly carry out usability testing on new features and functionality for the consumer coming to a website. This has included complex configurators that allow users to visualise a bathroom design, configure a security system, design something. Often that information is captured and shared with the consumer via a document download or a password protected area of the website.Consumers are frequently blown away by the capability in their hands and far more positive toward the brand that has put it there.
In many cases, that is where the development ends. The digital project is finished because the website sits in digital and operations is something else. What if the call centre and sales team could see the consumers design when they call to follow up the enquiry? What if the sales person could have it on a tablet PC when they attend the appointment? That is digital transformation and it operates across the organisation changing process and making employees better equipped to do their job.
Whether you are running a massive digital transformation programme or a tiny digital project we are ready to help you understand your users and make them part of the process. Contact us on +44(0)800 0246 247, or email hello@ux247.com .We regularly deliver user research to brands both big and small and would love to hear from you.
