If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard the words ‘digital transformation’ more times than you’d care to remember. In fact, I’ll put my cards on the table and say that not only has the term become wildly overused, but it’s also often misunderstood.
Some may even argue that it’s becoming a cliché. I wouldn’t disagree. So, what is the problem with the term digital transformation – and why exactly might the term have lost its way?
People are paramount
Data migration, which is perhaps ground zero for any major digital project – certainly for those we manage when it comes to installing and integrating a membership management system within membership organisations – sounds very technical. And it is. It’s often a very lengthy and time-intensive process, too.
But just because the process is digital doesn’t mean that it happens on its own. Or that it’s something that technology simply manages whilst we put the kettle on and move on to another element of the project.
Data migration is the first digital stepping stone to navigate in any major digital project, which makes it one of the most important. It’s also one that’s highly dependent on people.
People, process, technology
The 60-year-old People, Process, Technology framework, which first emerged in the 1960s following the work of Harold Leavitt, a business management expert, still stands up to this day.
People, process, and technology, in that order, remain the best way to approach any digital project – and that’s coming from someone who’s part of a business that specialises in developing technology for membership organisations.
It was even the key theme running through a webinar we recently attended, entitled Move beyond Migration – Unlocking the value of your data in the Cloud (part of the techUK Data Strategies Series), which focussed on how to best manage your data, minimise data silos and not only keep your data healthy but also high quality, too.
Technology - as good as it might be in 2023 - starts with people. And as the cost of storing data increases, it pays dividends to make sure that the data you own is also data that you need.
Membership organisations unnecessarily in possession of large amounts of data face problems with wastage – both the wasted cost associated with storing it and the wasted time and cost attributable to team members having to navigate it.
As the saying goes, if you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out.
Get it right first time
In today’s world, data is an incredibly valuable asset. If you’re a membership organisation, it’s likely that it just might be your most valuable asset. But its value diminishes the less you know how best to harness it.
As we’ve previously covered in an article on data migration, Silverbear takes data migration incredibly seriously, for it’s this process that lays the foundations for any meaningful data strategy for both an organisation’s members and its team.
And this is why we dedicate a significant proportion of our time to ensuring that our customers’ data is clean, useful, and supports their overall strategy and objectives – before it’s placed in the Cloud.
Back to the term digital transformation, then. Despite its overuse, it’s still a useful term that describes what is likely to be an organisation’s largest investment.
But it’s important that when it actually comes to the process of digital transformation, organisations embarking on it don’t become disconnected from what it means – or, more importantly, what it actually requires from the outset. And that still is a human touch.
Silverbear 365 is delivered on Microsoft Azure, a powerful secure cloud computing platform with best-in-class cloud hosting. If you’re a membership organisation looking for support with your previous, current, or forthcoming digital projects, then why not speak with a membership management system expert? Contact the team on 01483 409409 or email hello@silverbear.com.