People and Technology Must Align for Digital Transformation

Businesses have been transforming operations around digital solutions for a while now, and one takeaway has become fairly clear along the way - building around digital isn't just about technology, it is also about people. Business process management tools empower companies to balance technology and people in order to take full advantage of what digital systems have to offer.

Change, culture at center of digital transformation

Increased reliance on digital technologies has created an operational climate in which businesses must deal with frequent and major changes on an ongoing basis. A study from Forbes Insights found that companies need tointerconnect people, technologies and processes in order to handle this climate. At this point, change is being driven by new new business models and technologies. Businesses expect these advances to lead to revenue gains and innovation.

As companies work to keep up with the blistering change brought on by digital transformation, they must be prepared to use data effectively on a day-to-day basis. The study found that:

• • Approximately 91 percent of respondents believe they have improved revenues due to increased use of data analytics
  • Just 44 percent of those polled consider themselves advanced in using data
  • Cross-functional teams are becoming more important, with 40 percent saying they are not using these types of groups enough to support transformation
  • Technology is considered to be both the greatest challenge and most prolific contributor to digital transformation

The emphasis on change - and subsequent need to align business and technology - is echoed in a recent CIO magazine report. The news source delvedinto multiple studies to point out that the innovation created by digital transformation has already started to give early adopters a major edge in their marketplaces, and businesses must get moving in order to keep up.

Business Process Managementat center of digital transformation

Modern Business Process ManagementBPM tools are emerging as key options for companies trying to align people, processes and technology. This is especially true as BPM software incorporates app platform functionality. With these tools in hand, companies can easily roll out new apps and customize existing solutions as their business requirements change. At the same time, BPM creates a central hub to move and coordinated data between different user groups. Frequent change and disruption can become overwhelming for users, but effective data integration across the business can alleviate the burden of keeping up with the pace of digital transformation.

Transform Your Business Operations

Digital transformation is more than improving customer experience. It's about increasing customer value. That starts with business operations. How fast can you evolve to try new business models? How do you make sure employees are engaged and productive? How can you work seamlessly with suppliers and partners across your value chain?

Learn how Appian enables business change while maximizing operational performanceª