If you look online or search for the hashtag #digitaltransformation you will see that everybody is doing it.  Every supplier is doing it.  To the point where the term has merged into the amorphous of all the other overused terms that nobody listens to anymore.

For example; “we are the biggest”; “we are number one”; “we are market leader”, of course nobody cared and nobody cares.

If you look at “thought leadership” on digital transformation this sits in two camps:-

1. Articles on the latest shiny objects, IOT, Blockchain, Cloud, VR, IR, Voice Search, etc; or trying to somehow categorise these technologies.  When you talk to companies while they realise that they do need to probably run pilots, the companies are more bothered about survival in these turbulent times.  Most companies, we talk too, are scared and it's actually about keeping the lights on.
2. The other type of article is about research.  Let’s not forget, that research is a look into the past, based on somebody's opinion.  It is not fact.  It is a forecast and as we know, forecasts can be wrong.  The questions focus on who is leading the digital transformation, the CEO, CIO or CDO etc.  While this gives us insight into what other companies are or are not doing it does not get to the heart of the matter.

In both cases nobody talks about “measurement” how do you measure what it means to be digital?  How do you measure your employees?  How does that roll up into a company.  In other words how digital is your company?  How digital are your competitors and how do you compare?  How digital is your industry?

Here at DLA Ignite dlaignite.com we have been running digital transformations for three years and have come up with a measure.  Measure your employees on how digital they are, measure your company on how digital it is, compare how you compare with your industry and competitors. 

Now that could be useful and would certainly create some real discussion at the Board about your strategy, which projects to back and your digital direction of travel.