Digital adoption managers are taking digital transformation to the next level!

Mark Talmage-Rostron
June 23, 2021 · 7 min read

With many workers struggling to cope with the latest digital technologies and skills gaps appearing, it’s now a case of adapt or die

It seems not so long ago that the term‘digital transformation’took the big leapfrom buzz word to the most important wordsutteredaround almost everyglobalboardroom. Online hasbecomethe holy grailand companies havemost certainly woken up to theonsetand awakeningof thedigital revolution.

Thosewhoare doingthingsright, are now most certainly riding the digital wave tocontinuedsuccess.Never more in the history of business has ‘adapt or die’ been morepertinentas 27% of companies say that digital transformation isa matter of survivaland 55% of companies without a digital transformationstrategy believe that they have less than a year before they startto lose market share.

Buttotake advantage of theclear-cut benefitsof digital adoption, the workforcemustbeproperlyskilled to adaptto the technology. If not, organizations need toput plans in place to have staff upskilledorreskilledprontoor risklosingvaluable ground to their rivals whoare forging aheadunabated.

This is where universities, and especially online universities,come into playas theyprovidedigital transformation courses thatallow workers toupskillwhilst still holding down a jobat the same time.

McKinsey’s research indicates that by 2030, the skills needed in the workforce will be radically different from those valued today. Such a transformation must be met with appropriate training and learning strategies. And that, in turn, means organizations should care even more about the digital transformation of learning.

“At least 40% of all businesses will die in the next 10 years if they don’t figure out how to change their entire company to accommodate new technologies.” – , Executive Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems

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Why digital transformation is important

Forbes denotes that now has never been a more perfect timetodevelop and act on a watertight digital transformation strategy as COVID-19continues to leaveawakeof destruction behind it,making many traditional business practices obsolete. The fact that the rule book of ways, places, and times of working has 100% been thrown out of the window, has prompted organizations to look inwardly and evaluate just how well prepared and equipped they are to embrace alternative ways of working.

Forbes goes on to say that 70% of companies either have a digital transformation strategy in place or are working on one, whilst 21% believe that they’ve reached their Nirvana and already completed digital transformation. 60% of those companies have already created new business models.

But it has not been plain sailing for organizations adopting this new way of working. Tech savvy individuals in almost all organizations were quick to welcome digital transformation with open arms, but, with anything new, there was a fair amount of resistance from other sectors within the business and that’s where digital transformation fails.

The tail can’t wag the dog

As they say in the classics, resistance is futile, so those that opt to go against the grain can expect to see their careers severally derail. Especially when you consider that 39% of executives believe their companies will get the most value from digital transformation initiatives in three to five years, and 70% of digital transformations fail due mostly to resistance from employees.

CIO’s annual asked about skills needed for digital transformation. The top responses were strategy building (40 percent), project management (32 percent) and business relationship management, user support/training, success measurement and risk management, all at 25 percent, respectively. Other business-oriented skills that IT leaders are seeking include product management, financial/cost management and vendor management.

So,who is going to take the lead in companies to bring everyone on boardandupskill them tomake sure that theycankeep pace with rapid advancements in digital technology? 40% ofcompanies have dedicated digital transformation teams in place, but it has become clear that a specialist is required to taketheir transformationinitiativesto the next level and get buy in from all staff.

Enter thedigital adoption manager, a role that if they don’t already have one of these people onthe books,organizationsneed to start interviewingfor, fast.This digital transformation specialistis responsible for,primarily,ensuringthat the process of bringing and employing new technologies is a smooth and successful one.

Cypher Learning reportsthatsaid person’smain responsibility is to ensure that the process of bringingonboardand employing new technologies is a smooth and successful one.If you stop to think about it, it’s no surprise thatIT has happily taken a backseat to these specialists, as employees are now exposed to more apps,platforms,and digital systems than ever before.It’s no wonderthenthat people are experiencing technology fatigue.

7 good reasons why organizations should employ a Digital Adoption Manager

According to Lineup systems, new technologies lead to new opportunities – but only if the company is poised to harness them. Therefore, a digital adoption manager is crucial to help a business reach its goals. If there are those that are not quite sure why they should employ a Digital Adoption Manager, here are 7 good reasons why.

1. You’ve recently replaced a major system

84% of companies fail at digital transformation, according to Forbes. ADigitalAdoptionManager can helpthemavoid this common blunder. They oversee the entire adoption process of new tech, including the human element, to ensure itisseamless and successful.

2. You’re not seeing the system ROI you expected

Many organizations purchase shiny new tech but fail to master or even exploreallits features, therefore missing out on its full benefits. ADigitalAdoptionManager can helpthembetter understand and take advantage oftheirsystems to get the greatest ROI possible.

3.Too many training sessionsbooked

Digital Adoption Managerscan organize and execute personalized demos for each team within a company in a relevant, engaging way. This will help staff become more productive as they work with various systems.Theycan also onboard new hires.

4.Gaps inthebusiness process

ADigitalAdoptionManager specializes in identifying and addressing these issues. They will analyzeorganizationalworkflows to see where productivity could be improved and help ensure technology truly drivesthebusiness forward.

5. Departments are using the same systemsdifferently, resulting in disparate data

When silos develop within organizations, teams lose visibility into what’s working and what’s not, and data integration and quality can become compromised. ADigitalAdoptionManager acts as a bridge between different business functions–for example, IT and finance–to help CIOs gain insight into how systems are being used throughout a company.

6. You need someone to evaluatethe latest tools and processes

It can be a challenge to keep up with ever-evolving digital trends when your to-do list is a mile long, but aDigitalAdoptionManager can take this task offIT’splate.

7. Overcoming internal complaints

Employee buy-in is critical when it comes to implementing new technology, buttogain it, employees must be able to trust that they’ve truly been set up for success. ADigitalAdoptionManager will listen to concerns and take steps to address them by ensuring that employees receive proper training and are empowered to use the systems required in their roles.

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Upskill or put your career in reverse gear

Regardless of having someone to hold their handsduring the digital transformation process, staff of companies do need to ramp up their digital skillsetstocope withthe new demands placed on them when it comes to technology transformation.

The world university ranking maintainsthat universities can embrace digital transformationand help their students do the same through tailored curriculum.It also went on to say thatuniversities will have a massive role to play in providing upskilling and reskilling to adapt to the demands of digital transformation and adopt new technologies.In fact, theWorld Economic Forumsays that54% of the workforce will require significant reskilling and upskilling by 2022.

That’s where university comes into its own.Therearecourseson theFundamentals of Digital Transformation,BBA in Digital Transformation, BBA in Artificial Intelligence,andMBA in Artificial Intelligence.

We also offer an MS is Digital Transformation, for Post-Graduate study.

The time for change is now andthe message isvery clear.It’sadapt or die.This is the mantra ofdigitalDarwinismwhere the evolution of technology is forcingorganizations to employ change management orperish.As Jack Welch, CEOof General Electriconcesuccinctlywrote, “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”


To discoverour Digital Transformationprogramsand others go tonexford.edu

the author
Mark Talmage-Rostron
Mark Talmage-Rostron

Mark is a college graduate with Honours in Copywriting. He is the Content Marketing Manager at , creating engaging, thought-provoking, and action-oriented content.

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