C.Co MD Richard Harrison reflects on this weeks CIPFA conference and the need for people centric and technology enabled transformation.
This week we’re at the Annual CIPFA Conference in Bournemouth talking all things Talent, Technology and Transformation.
From all we’ve been hearing it’s interesting how so many transformation journeys begin and end (or should I say stall) because of technology – and isn’t it about time we bucked the trend?
The focus on channel shift, reduced duplication and modern ways of working has the tendency to lead to a shiny new system ‘solution’ – but how often do organisations start by thinking ‘what is it we’re trying to achieve, what will we require to enable it and why?’ It’s no different to any other business decision, form should always follow function; and we should never jump to solutions before having empirical evidence of what’s really going on.
Whilst digital transformation and channel shift has a vital part to play in efficiency and cost reduction, it simply cannot be a solution to transformation on its own.
As the CIPFA conference theme suggests, transformation must be about understanding the reason for beginning the transformation journey, defining what the organisation’s aspirations are and understanding how the gap between the present and the future will be bridged. One of the key enablers of course is ensuring people are at the centre of any transformation journey – and by this we must focus on both staff and the communities we serve.
At C.Co, we often find the need to improve technology comes from a business requirement to save money whereas a simple shift of mindset to ensuring the right thing is done for all people involved is much more likely to see successful creation, implementation and ongoing future development of not just improved technology but cross-organisation transformation.
Adding to this, staff within the organisation must be given adequate training to maximise the technology, feel motivated not threatened by the opportunities digital transformation brings, and genuinely empowered and enabled to suggest new solutions. Not only this, but all staff must feel able to make changes once systems are live and not be afraid to change course if systems don’t deliver.
Our experience is that a holistic transformation programme, when implemented successfully, can have the potential to identify and unlock talent across the organisation aiding the development of more rewarding roles for staff, improved staff morale, an increase in retention and most importantly an improved culture as a whole. No one should ever lose sight of this when considering a digital transformation.
For us, conversation, collaboration and creativity are key.
Speak to us today to find out how we can help you kick-start a successful change journey speaktous@wearec.co
