Mastering the Digital Transformation Process: Business Practices and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Due to its unique features and accessibility, the focus of implementing digital technology is no longer just to improve internal operations, but to expand internal dimensions, reach customers and external partners, affect services, integrate processes, disrupt markets, and fundamentally change industries. It is no surprise that the notion of digital transformation has garnered much research interest, especially from the practitioners’ point of view, but academic achievements are somehow lagging behind, possibly because frameworks for digital transformation are still evolving. In this article, we tried to address that gap by conducting holistic research of digital transformation in companies. We used a series of in-depth interviews to inform comprehensive case studies of three companies from different industries that are in different stages of digital transformation. We carefully investigated the companies’ experiences in the process of digital transformation, which are discussed here to provide valid theoretical framing. We conclude that, in addition to technology adoption, important factors for successful digital transformation are the ability of an organization to change and operational excellence in the integration of external digital services with internal IT support. In that light, we summarize our findings in a form of discovered (sub)dimensions that are the basis for the proposed digital transformation framing, while the narratives and case experiences provide with examples of best practice.

Keywords

• case study
• change management
• digital business
• digital model
• digital transformation
• digital transformation model
• digitization
• human capital
• Innovation management
• talent management