Debunking digital transformation myths

In today's online world, the adoption of digital transformation is crucial for an organisation's growth and future success. However, despite this, many still travel down the wrong path on their journey to deliver a successful online service provision for customers. To make the road to digital transformation success an easier ride, we've pulled together some common misconceptions about its delivery. Discover below some myths surrounding this topic and what your organisation can do to slay your digital transformation beasts.

Myth 1: IT is responsible for digital transformation

Our latest survey report on digital self-service in the Public Sector has revealed valuable insights into the current state of digital transformation in the sector. According to the survey respondents from the Public Sector, 69% believe that digital transformation is primarily the responsibility of their IT department, which is down by 5% from last year. However, it's still significantly higher than any other department, with Digital Services coming in second at 39%. Additionally, the survey indicates that 74% of respondents view the lack of IT support as a major obstacle to implementing digital transformation in their organisation.

While many Public Sector organisations have been well-versed in digital transformation over the past decade, resulting in less complexity in its delivery, it's essential to acknowledge that digital transformation is everyone's responsibility. IT play a vital role in implementing digital transformation projects, but online services designed with customers' needs in mind are only possible with a collaborative approach from multiple departments. It's equally important to understand your customers and their usage patterns as implementing digital services. Thus, developing a strategy that oversees digital transformation from research to delivery is crucial.

Myth 2: The look and feel of online services doesn't matter

In order to enhance your customers' online experience, it's critical to prioritise not only the UX but also the UI and overall visual appeal of your online presence. Consistency in the look and feel of your services is key, and your organisation should strive to seamlessly integrate your online customer services and self-service portals with your website's aesthetic, creating a cohesive and natural extension of your brand.

Your customers are highly familiar with the design elements of your website, such as button styles, brand colours, iconography, typography, and page layouts. As they interact with your site more frequently, they become familiar with these cues and expect to see them used across your other online services. Therefore, it's crucial that your online services are seamlessly integrated with your main website's design, leaving no visible change in style. Any inconsistency in the user experience can be a significant obstacle for your customers, who value convenience above all else.

While the UI of your online services may seem trivial, customers view inconsistency in the way they use online services as a major inconvenience. Therefore, it's essential to ensure that your online services maintain a consistent aesthetic and functionality with your main website to optimise the customer experience. By doing so, you can establish trust and increase customer satisfaction.

Myth 3: Citizens do not directly influence digital self-service decisions 

While some may assume that internally-driven approaches to digital transformation, such as focusing on budgets and business efficiencies, result in higher success rates, our most recent report into digital self-service in the Public Sector reveals that citizen-driven decision-making is actually more prevalent. Specifically, our findings indicate that 31% of digital transformation initiatives are driven by citizen demand, while only 23% are driven by internal factors, representing a 10% decrease from the previous year. Interestingly, a combination of citizen and internal decision-making has experienced a 12% increase.

Among the respondents who reported that their organisation relies solely on internal factors for digital transformation decision-making, it seems that centralised policies are the root cause. Some participants have stated that policies imposed by higher authorities limit their ability to manage their organisation's digital self-service offerings effectively. These findings highlight the importance of involving citizens in the digital transformation decision-making process, as it can lead to better outcomes that align with their needs and expectations.

Organisations that prioritise citizen-driven decision-making can build stronger relationships with their customers, increase citizen satisfaction, and drive business growth. By listening to citizen feedback and aligning digital transformation initiatives with their needs, organisations can create more relevant and effective digital self-service offerings.

Myth 4: Reduced budgets and the impact of COVID-19 have slowed down digital transformation

When it comes to digital transformation in the Public Sector, it's interesting to note that the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced budgets have had a surprising impact. While some organisations have experienced slowdowns in their digital self-service plans due to these factors, others have accelerated their plans. This highlights the importance of being prepared for unexpected challenges, as organisations that are well-equipped to handle them are more likely to achieve their digital transformation goals faster.

In our recent reports on Digital Self-Service in the Public Sector, we have consistently found that being prepared for digital transformation challenges is key to success. However, organisations that are under-prepared for these challenges will face the opposite effect, resulting in a slowing of their digital transformation plans as they try to find solutions.

Therefore, it's crucial for organisations to plan ahead and take an agile approach to digital transformation projects. By pre-empting any unexpected challenges that may arise, organisations can avoid disruption and stay on track towards achieving their goals.