Digital transformations have become a buzzword in the business world in recent years. Companies across industries are realising the benefits of embracing digital technologies to enhance their operations and stay competitive in the market. However, digital transformations are complex and require a strong commitment from the management and executive team to succeed.
Before embarking on a digital transformation journey, it’s essential to develop a comprehensive Business Case that justifies the investment. However, the Business Case shouldn’t be limited to the commercial aspect only. It should encompass the entire organisation and highlight how the digital transformation will improve various aspects of the business.
So, how can you kick-start the process of developing a Business Case for your digital transformation initiative? Well, the answer lies in hearing stories.
Imagine a meeting where executives from each division of the company attend, collaborating on the Business Case. The Sponsor of the initiative chairs the meeting, and a facilitator is hired to lead the discussion. The facilitator asks the executives to share stories about how success looks for their department. So, here are a few stories (User Stories):
CFO
- As a CFO, I want to see improvement in the time spent in three-way matching between PO, receipts, and invoices so that we can eliminate manual work.
COO
- As a COO, I want to see improvement in the procurement process so we have a better prediction of our order arrivals.
CEO
- As a CEO, I want to see improvement in the manual processes so that we can improve service and redeploy resources to the Project division.
The beauty of this process is that the executives aren’t making things up to justify the investment. Instead, they are sharing areas where they anticipate improvement and benefits to the organisation. These stories become the foundation for documenting the Business Case. This is the power of storytelling in developing a Business Case for Digital Transformation.
By incorporating stories from executives across the organisation, the Business Case becomes more holistic and compelling. It highlights the pain points of each department and how the digital transformation will alleviate them. It also ensures that everyone in the organisation is on the same page and understands the goals of the initiative.
In conclusion, developing a Business Case is a crucial step in any digital transformation initiative. By incorporating stories from executives across the organisation, the Business Case becomes more comprehensive and compelling. So, why not start documenting your Business Case by telling stories too? It’s a simple yet effective way to kick-start the process and ensure the success of your digital transformation initiative.
