JULY 2023Retail Business Review8In My Opinion"Digital Transformation"--perpetually popular in business vernacular--describes the process by which a business implements novel technology to modernize the organization and (hopefully) propel the business to a brighter future. Success, however, requires more than simply deploying technology. Rather, the implemented technology should delight customers by providing intuitive solutions that remove friction and enrich the customer experience. Such lofty aspirations, at times, can feel daunting. To implement a true Digital Transformation, companies must (i) understand the root causes of the problems they seek to DEPLOYING TECHNOLOGY THAT CREATES A DELIGHTFUL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEsolve; (ii) build toward sustainable solutions by engaging in incremental experimentation with proof of concepts (POC); and (iii) most importantly, design human-centered solutions. This article further examines each of these steps. Defining the problem At the outset, any business seeking to transform itself through technology should carefully consider the problems it hopes to solve. Companies should avoid the temptation--ever-present in fast-paced environments--to rush to solve surface level issues, which are often mere symptoms of a much deeper problem. In the Harvard Business Review (HBR) article Why Design Thinking Works, author Jeanne Liedtka promotes the process of design thinking to help companies discover and frame the true problem. Liedtka notes that "incorporating customer-driven criteria", can alleviate analysis paralysis or the impatience of action-oriented designers. Rather than rushing to conventional conclusions, through empathy, the design process creates a framework to define the problem from multiple perspectivesTope Sadiku, Global Head of Employee Digital Experience, The Kraft Heinz Company Tope SadikuBy
< Page 7 | Page 9 >