UNDERCOVERLABIt's one of those phrases that fill up slide decks and say nothing. "Digital transformation." It sounds important, it sounds expensive, and it commits you to nothing concrete. That's exactly why people use it so much. We'd rather talk about what you actually want, which is something else entirely.
The trouble with slogans is you can't fail to deliver them
When someone sells you "digital transformation", "innovation" or "disruptive solutions", the best part for the seller is that none of it can be measured. If a year later you ask whether you've transformed, the answer can always be yes, a bit, it's a work in progress. Nobody ever fails to keep a promise that says nothing.
A concrete promise, on the other hand, can be kept or broken. "You'll save five hours a week on invoicing." "You'll halve your support calls." "Customers will be able to book on their own, without anyone picking up the phone." That can be measured, and that's why it's harder to sell. It puts whoever says it on the line.
Nobody ever fails to keep a promise that says nothing.
What you actually want, said plainly
When you scratch the slogan, underneath there's always one of these three things. And none of them is called "digital transformation".
- Saving hours. Stop doing by hand what a machine can do on its own. Invoicing, reports, data you copy from one place to another. The time you get back, you spend on what actually adds value.
- Selling more. Reaching more people, making it easier to buy, not losing the customer who drops off halfway through because the process is a mess.
- No longer worrying. Taking something that stresses you out today, because it breaks, because it depends on one person, because you're not sure it's right, and making it just work without you thinking about it.
If what they're pitching can't be translated into one of these three, be wary. They're probably selling you the label, not the result.
Technology is the means, not the goal
Nobody wants an app. They want to sell more, save effort, or give better service. The app is one way to get there, maybe the right one, maybe not. Same with AI, with a new website, or with anything ending in "digital".
When someone starts from the technology ("you need AI", "you've got to have an app") instead of from your problem, they've put the cart before the horse. The problem first. Then, if at all, the tool.
Good technology goes unnoticed. It works underneath so you can get on with your business, not so you can say you've "transformed".
How we approach it
We won't ask you what technology you want. We'll ask what wastes your time, where you lose customers, and what worries you about how things work right now. That's where the project comes from, not from a trend or a word that looks good on a slide.
And when we're done, we won't tell you we've transformed you. We'll tell you what you're saving, what you've gained or what you've stopped worrying about. If we can't tell you any of the three, we shouldn't have done the project.
