DOCSF22: Digital Transformation: Integrating Technology

Digital transformation not only regards technology; it's about the intersection of technology with people and processes. In this episode, Paul Limbrey, Managing Director for Global Agencies and Partners at Google, talks about digital transformation and key things he's learned about the successful implementation of new technology in any system. He breaks down four good things that result when landing a digital transformation effort inside a large organization.

The first step he mentions is having a change strategy for the transformation in mind. Think of everything that could go wrong, processes related to data and information flows, policy implications, and your human capital capabilities. The next one is having a visible and active executive sponsor. He talks about identifying agents of change within the organization who might have in them to drive the transformation forward and then looking for someone who might have genuine power to back them up, as the number one reason why projects fail in corporations is the lack of one.

The next step is building coalitions, for which Paul encourages everyone to engage with the middle managers. It’s essential to find support in the people that are data-driven and want to understand why transformation is good instead of those who are experience-driven and are comfortable with the status quo. The final step is having a plan for the end state. Here, he discusses pilots and how they can be a double-edged sword as many companies get stuck in developing many pilots but never implementing successful ones. This is why there must be a plan to ensure that successful pilots are scaled up and move to the standard business servicing teams, putting innovation into action.

Many great ideas can drive innovation. Listen to this episode to learn from Paul how to do tech integration to face those challenges companies face with adoption for digital transformation!