WHY IT MATTERS: Digital Transformation

Innovative mapping uses crowdsourcing techniques to identify not only the most efficient route to take but also the most quiet or the most enjoyable? Can this approach also be leveraged in other business applications that are focussed on efficiency?

Digital transformation often comes in the form of innovation, which clashes with internal processes and the people that run them. It is my experience that innovation is a difficult thing to do in most organizations, which often turn to the creation of external groups called "labs" that are tasked with innovation without the constraints of the corporation that has spawned them. Companies like Walmart, Target and Nordstrom (see below) have done it.

This post from Hinchcliffe provides interesting insight into how to build an open innovation capability within your organization.

Also read:

• Nordstrom Innovation Lab video shows how rapid experimentation should be done #mustwatch http://sco.lt/9KCibx
• Walmart Labs’ Subscription Snack Service Goodies.co Will Shut Down via @TechCrunch http://sco.lt/7D4jjN
• Retailers open "labs" to safely pilot their digital transformation via @mercuryNews http://sco.lt/7MY493 

Another data point in favor of recent MIT study that claims as much as 50% of US jobs will disappear in the next 20 years due to computerization. Also goes well with the digital cliff that has happened in certain industries, news print and media for example as this chart demonstrates. My advice: retrain, retrain, retrain.

Half of US jobs are vulnerable to computerization- How Technology Is Destroying Jobs via @MIT http://sco.lt/8dBxlR

I'Ve published this before but this time I wanted to draw attention to the measurable business benefits that companies draw from using social and other digital solutions. 

I've been tracking this study for the past 4 years and find it extremely useful because it gives actual measure on the benefits of using social within the enterprise - what was called nterprise2.0 in the early days. 

Although the survey shows some benefits plateau, it doesdemonstrate that  reductions in costs for communication and travel are achieved. In certain cases the savings can be significant. In certain industries, increase in the speed to access information or internal experts can turn into business benefits with measurable value in sales or competitiveness.