You need to create agility and a competitive capability from a complex and intertwined collection of hardened functional and LOB apps. To do that, you need to build a Digital Transformation Platform.
But I'm including a response I made because I think it adds some important clarity:
I'm going to address both of your comments at the same time as they have some overlap and point to some points where I have not been as clear as I'd hoped. (Although I may also respond to some specific points in the respective threads.)
First off, you are both correct that (a) there is a LOT to the concept of digital transformation and it can, therefore, mean a lot of different things. Second, you both either directly or indirectly raised the issue that I'm not addressing the business interaction and its on-going role.
I completely agree on both counts. I almost called this an Innovation Platform (a term Michael used), but decided that there are too many forms of innovation. As imperfect as the term digital transformation is, it still best represents what we're talking about: driving foundational business transformation enabled by technology.
The question of business interaction is more interesting. Anyone who has followed my work knows that I completely agree that digital transformation isn't about technology and is not an IT initiative. I completely agree with you there, Rohit.
But I'm calling this a "Digital Transformation Platform" because I'm envisioning it as an engine of digital transformation. So that "motion" you mentioned, Michael, is fully intentional. In this regard, I'm viewing a DXP almost as an extension of the core IT infrastructure and architecture — something that IT must build and operate (in collaboration with its business counterparts) to deliver a capability that the enterprise will use to drive and deliver innovation.
So, Michael, you are dead-on that there are essentially two stages to this process: building it and then leveraging it to realize business value.
And while I 100% agree that executing digital transformation efforts, leveraging the DXP are fundamentally business initiatives, my argument here is that building the capability — the DXP itself — is effectively within the mandate of IT leadership.
In this respect, I actually see the DXP as the enabling feature of the Operational Backbone in the 5 Building Blocks Michael referenced. In their description, they describe the operational backbone as a set of integrated, shared systems...something that exists only somewhat in most organizations and lacks the additional depth that enables innovation via the "digital platform" that a DXP provides.
It's an imperfect alignment, but my point is that the DXP is about creating a technology-powered capability that enables organizations to rapidly and sustainably drive transformational innovation. It's a capability that I think IT leaders should be responsible for building, operating, and managing (not in isolation, of course) as an organizational enabler.
There was a lively conversation on LinkedIn about this post. You can view the entire thread here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7085294698587693056/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(activity%3A7085294698587693056%2C7085618162712379392)&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A(7085618162712379392%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7085294698587693056)
But I'm including a response I made because I think it adds some important clarity:
I'm going to address both of your comments at the same time as they have some overlap and point to some points where I have not been as clear as I'd hoped. (Although I may also respond to some specific points in the respective threads.)
First off, you are both correct that (a) there is a LOT to the concept of digital transformation and it can, therefore, mean a lot of different things. Second, you both either directly or indirectly raised the issue that I'm not addressing the business interaction and its on-going role.
I completely agree on both counts. I almost called this an Innovation Platform (a term Michael used), but decided that there are too many forms of innovation. As imperfect as the term digital transformation is, it still best represents what we're talking about: driving foundational business transformation enabled by technology.
The question of business interaction is more interesting. Anyone who has followed my work knows that I completely agree that digital transformation isn't about technology and is not an IT initiative. I completely agree with you there, Rohit.
But I'm calling this a "Digital Transformation Platform" because I'm envisioning it as an engine of digital transformation. So that "motion" you mentioned, Michael, is fully intentional. In this regard, I'm viewing a DXP almost as an extension of the core IT infrastructure and architecture — something that IT must build and operate (in collaboration with its business counterparts) to deliver a capability that the enterprise will use to drive and deliver innovation.
So, Michael, you are dead-on that there are essentially two stages to this process: building it and then leveraging it to realize business value.
And while I 100% agree that executing digital transformation efforts, leveraging the DXP are fundamentally business initiatives, my argument here is that building the capability — the DXP itself — is effectively within the mandate of IT leadership.
In this respect, I actually see the DXP as the enabling feature of the Operational Backbone in the 5 Building Blocks Michael referenced. In their description, they describe the operational backbone as a set of integrated, shared systems...something that exists only somewhat in most organizations and lacks the additional depth that enables innovation via the "digital platform" that a DXP provides.
It's an imperfect alignment, but my point is that the DXP is about creating a technology-powered capability that enables organizations to rapidly and sustainably drive transformational innovation. It's a capability that I think IT leaders should be responsible for building, operating, and managing (not in isolation, of course) as an organizational enabler.