One of the main reasons for the failure of IT projects to digitalise work processes is the lack of attention to the essential human component. We see this in practically all business areas. Examples include marketing automation and CRM projects, social collaboration initiatives and business process optimisation in logistics and finance, etc.
In the age where digital technologies are used ubiquitously, connecting different departments, stakeholders, goals, processes and information resources, the human aspect becomes even more important.
Humanization and collaboration – beyond silos.
Take, for example, a fully integrated unified communications and collaboration project. To reach a certain level of maturity requires collaboration between the departments and people responsible for telephony, the network and the workplace. In many companies, these areas are still disconnected, as are their processes, technologies and priorities. Or take the example of a customer experience optimisation project that requires close collaboration between IT, customer service, marketing, sales, etc. to gain a single customer view and deliver consistent customer experiences enabled by digital technologies. Another example is the use of information management strategies that aim to accelerate business processes, save costs, empower employees and optimise the customer experience. As the need for the right information/data at the right time and moment is a key differentiator in digital business across virtually all business functions, it is clear that such projects also need to connect and engage many people.
In addition to existing legacy infrastructures, specific business contexts and individual challenges, companies are also organised differently and the skills and ‘culture’ of staff and employees can vary widely.
Challenge: When technology becomes a fascination and people take second place
But as soon as literally everything is networked and integrated, collaboration and the commitment or involvement of the people and teams involved become a crucial success factor.
We see more and more digital business projects that affect virtually the entire organisation and are often about digital (business) transformation. Let’s also not forget that more and more IT and technology purchasing decisions are made without the involvement of the IT department, for example by marketing, and that even the employees themselves often decide. This is where shadow IT and consumerisation come into play. However, to be successful in a digitally-intensive reality, it is more important than ever that everyone who needs to be involved is involved. This applies not only to the sometimes independent departments in current projects and roadmaps for the future, but also to the people without whom no digital project of any kind will succeed: those who are affected by it in practice, your employees.
But even in smaller “ad hoc” digital projects, the human dimension is often overlooked. The fascination with technology as such and the belief that it can improve business, as a miracle solution from a box that you can just buy and wait for the magic to happen.
The increasing digitisation of companies and the digitisation of business processes has shown that nothing works if the human element is disregarded.
Change management
A first aspect is change management. The digitalisation of processes, the use of digital solutions, the strategic-cultural change, the shift to a customer-centric and integrated approach all have a transformative effect. However, transformations are not dictated by technology. They are defined by the goals we want to achieve and the way we are organised to achieve them.
Employees need to learn how to collaborate, be more customer-focused, manage their time, learn new skills and transform in the midst of a changing digital world. But the digital technologies in the company should also be adapted to them. Because change is not a walk in the park, not for companies and not for most people.
Change management is not new, but it is too little seen as an integral part of digital projects and too little used in the different departments involved in technology projects, depending on the organisation. It is about strategy and governance.
Buy-in and involvement
The sooner stakeholders from different departments and customers in the broadest sense (from internal users and managers to partners and actual buyers) are involved in a digital project, the more likely it is that a project will be successful. The days of IT saying “this is how we do it and this is how you do it” are over. Buy-in comes not only from the top, but also from all other levels involved.
Simply put, it won’t work if employees don’t want it, even if the protest is silent and sabotaging. Moreover, without the involvement of all project stakeholders, it is practically impossible to measure possible failure or success. There is still a difference between a plan and the reality of actual use once it has been executed. So also consider possible changes from the beginning.
User acceptance may not be the ultimate parameter for a successful project, but it certainly plays an important role.
Engagement and empowerment
Part of any change management and engagement is empowerment: training, ensuring that staff see the benefits and are appropriately trained and incentivised.
Incentive-based approaches are only one part of engagement and do not necessarily have to be based on rewards. Sometimes the mere fact that we can do our work better and in a way that makes our lives easier is a reward in itself.
Digitalisation is by no means dehumanising. Quite the opposite. Without strong involvement and consideration of the human element at all levels, digital projects are doomed to fail.
The human being as a determining factor in digitalisation
In an interview, Richard Edwards of Ovum once said that the rate of change of pretty much everything in modern life seems to be increasing. However, he said that we, the people in this equation, are the determining factor. If the rate of change is too great, then the mountain to climb becomes too steep and we cannot follow the path.
Organisations therefore need to pay more attention to the human factor that comes with technological change.
Most people can’t remember the last time they had IT training! Relative to the technology that surrounds us, IT literacy is declining and therefore companies are not fully utilising or benefiting from their IT investments. Therefore, companies should better train and develop their employees in new technologies and prepare them for the new world of work.
And it’s not just about the employees.
Two key human success factors for IT, digital transformation and customer experience optimisation projects are adoption (“it’s so cool, effective, valuable and tailored to my needs that I want to use it rather than have to use it”) and personal value, personal experience (and this can mean many things, it’s up to management to make sure you map these and involve those who need to be involved).
How can we help?
Driving change and inspiring employees is our passion. We are more then happy to bring our experience and knowledge into your project and look forward to going down the path of human-centred digitalisation with you.