Surviving significant change requires new ways of thinking and a strategic mindset. And it’s not only a digital future which presents a challenge.
The impact of Covid-19 requires leaders to reimagine and reinvent the business itself.
In addition to the specific actions that we can help with - the subject of particular posts on this Action page - there is a particular flow through some of the Insight posts that you may find helpful.
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What is Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation is about the cultural changes needed to make the company entirely customer-centric. Executives are no longer the real decision makers, rather they fully empower their employees to understand the ever-evolving customer demand and to act to influence their purchase decision.
David Seacombe
Why does my business exist?
Irrespective of market sector, delivering value to customers must be the prime purpose of any company, yet many companies struggle to differentiate or communicate their true value to the outside world.
David Seacombe
What is the value my business sells?
The results of your efforts to create value are measured in the customers’ perception of that value. But customer value is all about subjective perceptions, which can only be influenced, not controlled.
David Seacombe
How do I know that my organisation is creating customer value?
All organisational activity should be about generating value for our customers. But few people are able to define ‘value’ as something that’s actually meaningful in the context of an initiative or a customer.
David Seacombe
How do I succeed at selling?
If you want to win in business, you can’t rely on your monthly management reports. You need a clear perception of “what affects what”, so that you can easily tell how one factor influences another.
David Seacombe
How do I set and amend strategic direction?
Successful leaders understand that they need to find new ways to increase profits and reach new customers.There are numerous options available, but how do you know which one will work best for your organisation?
David Seacombe
Five domains of corporate strategy that the digital world is changing
Embarking on any strategic journey is an enormously complex challenge. There are five domains of corporate strategy that the digital world is changing, each of which you must understand, embrace and show leadership in
David Seacombe
Who are your Customers?
A truly customer-centric organisation knows their customer segments. Some organisations are service-oriented rather than sales-led, or have a variety of customers, but nevertheless each needs to understand its customers’ personas and clearly communicate the Why, and the value it gives each group.
David Seacombe
What are your Product Benefits?
It is a fundamental rule of marketing and sales that customers are typically more interested in benefits as opposed to the technical details or features of your product. You need to understand the benefits of your products.
David Seacombe
The Product-Led Business
Product-led companies invite the buyer to use the product and help them experience a meaningful outcome whilst using the product. Once they’ve seen the benefit, paying for the service becomes a no-brainer.
David Seacombe
Products, Architecture & Value
Driven by innovation, competition and/or acquisition, the design of products becomes more complicated and they are introduced to the market at a quicker pace. We need to ensure that our products properly architected and we need to stay focused on the value that they deliver to our customers.
David Seacombe
A Product-Aware Organisational Structure
We believe that time-honoured organisational structures and funding methods are no longer relevant. In order to create a customer-centric business it’s time to pivot the organisation and place Enterprise Architecture, Product Management and Engineering at the heart of the company.
David Seacombe
Enterprise Architecture
Companies undergoing digital transformations will continue to build new systems. The whole approach should be architected to provide a clear view of strategic intent, future operational efficiencies and cost-effective IT, avoiding loss of control, excessive complexity or unchecked cost.
David Seacombe
Product Management
Product Management is an function that guides every step of a product’s lifecycle, from proposal, to positioning and pricing - focusing on customers, what attracts them to the product, and how value will be generated.
David Seacombe
Engineering
The term ‘engineering’ may describe our understanding of the world and ability to invent, design, and build things to solve problems and achieve practical goals. In our world we use engineering teams to create products, built within an enterprise architecture.
David Seacombe
The Three Laws
Building a customer-centric digital organisation that is focused on delivering value to your customers needs new and agile ways of working. Let’s explore the Three Laws.
David Seacombe
The Law of the Customer
Customers no longer line up meekly at our shop door, impatient to buy what you have to offer. You need a team who are constantly alert to discussions about your brand or products on third-party sites or social networks, and who build connections and understand what customers truly want to buy.
David Seacombe
The Law of the Small Team
Small teams are essential to create a customer-centric company. With self-organising leadership and alignment to the overall product roadmap, they are given the autonomy to decide what to build, how to build it, and how to work together while building it.
David Seacombe
The Law of the Network
Work flows smoothly and continuously. Instead of major programmes of work requiring significant capital investment, we move the whole company to an agile way of working where we continually respond to customer needs, and deliver increasing customer value.
David Seacombe
Leadership Tensions
Most workers today would agree that org charts cannot even remotely describe the reality of working life. Hierarchy works for setting up corporate contracts and paying taxes. Over-emphasis on formal structures reduces effectiveness and inhibits innovation. There are alternate structures.
David Seacombe
People Matter
Whatever our background, all of us are a diverse mixture of our past and present, with our own hopes and fears, abilities and weaknesses. Together we represent society, and by embracing the breadth of what we all offer then we are also relevant to and engaged with our customers.
David Seacombe
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