Taking a pared-down view of enterprise technology can help simplify the conversation and clarify opportunities.
The increased focus on Digital Transformation has led many business leaders to reconsider the way their companies are leveraging digital. The problem is that the complexity of enterprise systems makes it difficult to align thinking across functions – especially when there’s such a dramatic difference in technical knowledge. To help combat this, it can be helpful to take a pared-down view of your enterprise technology to simplify the conversation and clarify opportunities. Here’s a simple view for approaching the realignment of your enterprise technology and the business results you can focus on in both the short and long-term.
A crucial starting point is clarifying your level of digital maturity. This will help inform the priorities for your enterprise technology and the outcomes that are realistically attainable. While every company will face unique challenges with their enterprise technology, there are three general areas that all companies can focus on; simplifying, automating, and integrating. Focusing on these areas can help align thinking and gain buy-in from a wider group of stakeholders.
As companies progress in their digital maturity, they’re able get more value out of their digital resources. In general, companies who are less digitally-mature should look for ways to simplify their enterprise technology and architecture. Companies who are more mature might look at ways to automate business processes and move toward end-to-end integration. Companies who are able to establish an end-to-end view of their enterprise technology benefit from improved insight, responsiveness, and customer experiences.
Simplifying
Simplifying enterprise technology involves streamlining user-experience, eliminating redundant systems, and establishing a more straight-forward enterprise architecture. This will help promote ease-of-use and engagement, while reducing ownership costs. The added benefit is that collaboration between functional groups can be improved through making enterprise systems easier for your staff to use.
Automating
Automation provides increased operational efficiency, reduces transactional costs, and prevents enterprise technology from obstructing your business strategy. Automating more tedious processes will let employees focus on higher value priorities.
Integrating
Breaking down silos that exist around your enterprise technology can be challenging, but it can deliver substantial value to your business. Increasing integration between systems will improve how information can be shared across your organization and improve systems of insight. This will ensure the right information is present at the right time, and better decisions can be made. This increases your organization’s ability to respond to new opportunities and serve your customers better.
Making the conversation around your enterprise technology as simple as possible can help you align your vision and clarify objectives. This can be especially helpful when opening the discussion of strategic priorities to a wider group that have differing levels of technical understanding. This exercise ensures that the conversation remains focused on outcomes and that your enterprise technology strategy is understood by everyone.
