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Digital Transformation for Chiefs and Owners. Volume 1. Immersion
Dzhimsher Chelidze
If earlier the words «Digitalization» and «Digital transformation» were just loud news headlines for you, then thanks to this book you will be able to understand these topics at the level of a director for the implementation of such projects.You will understand how important the role of a leader is, how to properly interact with the team when implementing changes.After all, among a large amount of data and technology, people will always remain the heart of digitalization.
Digital Transformation for Chiefs and Owners. Volume 1. Immersion
Dzhimsher Chelidze
Cover designer Alexander Peremyshlin
Illustrator Alexander Peremyshlin
© Dzhimsher Chelidze, 2024
© Alexander Peremyshlin, cover design, 2024
© Alexander Peremyshlin, illustrations, 2024
ISBN 978-5-0064-1016-9
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Foreword
Greetings, dear reader! My name is Jimsher. My managerial experience accounts for more than 10 years, 8 of which have taken place at the interface of IT and production. Additionally, I possess experience in crisis management. I myself have stuffed a large number of bumps and went through a large number of problems and conflicts. I had to face situations of layoffs.
If you’re reading this book, you’ve probably already heard of digitalization, digital transformation, and maybe even got lost and now you want to figure out what it is and how it can be applied in business.
My main occupation is to get the owners between Scylla and Charybdis to build control systems and to do digital transformations. And this book will help you get to know the world better.
What is the difference between this book and others? The fact that technology is not central here. Of course, we’re going to go through the theory, we’re going to get to know the basic technologies and systems, but it’s also going to include real stories and my personal experience, and we’re going to look at the causes of most of the problems, and we’re going to look at how to work with the changes that the state is preparing for us, and here ESG and how to start implementing the figure in small steps with the maximum result.
This book is written primarily for industrial executives and entrepreneurs who are at a crossroads and are tormented by the questions: Do we start digitalizing and digitalizing? And if we start, how? What people are needed, how not to lose your team and money? How long will this process take? What are the risks and pitfalls here? What will it lead to? What technologies make sense to use? What will happen if you don’t do it?»
In my experience, these are the people that ultimately determine success. However, they are also the main cause of failure or problems: inflated expectations and impatience, the wrong team, insufficient resources or their dispersion, the faith of «storytellers».
It’s also a curiosity book. However, it is contraindicated to specialists in IT, automation and anyone who likes «accurate and large-scale research with scientific confirmation of each thesis». It’ll probably give people like that heartburn.
I really hope I was able to find a balance between abstraction and immersion. Without basic technical training it is very difficult to manage «technicians»: managers need to understand what their specialists say, and specialists are interested in their managers. And this book will serve as a bridge between TOP and technicians.
For the most impatient, I will say at once that digitalization and digital transformation are a long process. On average, it takes 2—3 years, and in large companies – about 5 years. Why so much? Because, first of all, it’s not about technology, but about people, processes and internal culture.
Everything must be ready for radical changes but the main thing – top managers, because they will have to solve a huge number of conflicts. Additionally, if you’re not ready, you should stay on the beach and just have fun, save money for a prosperous old age. It is impossible to change others, but to remain the same. It will be profanation. This is also one of the key tools of management – system restriction theory. It is often the leaders and their thinking that become the constraints of their companies and divisions.
A large number of people are talking, and I think it’s reasonable, about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is a radical change of attitude.
As a reminder:
– 1st Revolution – the invention of the machine, the avoidance of manual labor;
– 2nd revolution – the invention of the conveyor, radical increase in productivity;
– 3rd Revolution – the emergence of the Internet, mobile communication, the spread of computers;
– 4th Revolution – the use of end-to-end digital technology and robotics.
However, any revolution is either an opportunity to take things to the next level or a risk to lose everything.
Working with people in different industries, I learned one simple thing: few people understand digitalization and digital transformation. For some, it is something strange and complicated, for others – renamed automation.
Having studied many requests of companies, including on portals on search of employees, I have repeatedly seen it. Most simply want to attract those who will introduce the next 1C, production planning system or financial management. So basically, we’re talking about good automation machines, which are called digital transformation managers (CDTs, CDOs), IT business partners.
This book is the result of a huge amount of pain experienced and mistakes passed. Not only my own, but also colleagues from different industries and companies – all those with whom I communicated. Its purpose is to «dispel the fog», immerse you in the world of numbers with the help of human language, to show how it works, to help avoid expensive mistakes, loss of time and disappointments.
Well, in conclusion, I want to warn: some of the points and recommendations will intersect and repeat. Additionally, there are reasons for this.
First, digital transformation and digitalization involve many dimensions: technology, psychology, process management. And some recommendations cut across several areas. Additionally, knowing how many people do not like to wait until the end, you have to give recommendations immediately.
Secondly, I love the saying «repetition – mother of learning». Going back to the most important things a few times, you’re likely to remember them and start applying them in life. At least I like to think so.
There will also be a large number of links in the book. In the paper version they will be presented as a QR code, and in the electronic version – as active links. Everything for your convenience!
Gratitude
Here I want to express my gratitude to all the people who influenced me and became, in fact, co-authors of this book. These are my relatives and colleagues, principals, teachers at the university, coaches at the sports school. However, I would like to thank especially:
– my parents;
– son Valery;
– wife Alice;
– my coach – Evgeny Bazhov.
Additionally, of course, Aleksandra Peremyshlin, who acted as my personal editor and shared his ideas.
Chapter 1. Point of Entry
This book is my vision of digital transformation. Additionally, our visions and opinions are shaped by our experiences and how we experienced them, what we thought, what we learned from them.
Until 2015, I did not expect to be so immersed in IT and management.
I often held organizational positions: I was the head of the school and sports school, deputy platoon commander at the military training center of my university, corps commander in the student operational squad, implemented various projects (project management is also a kind of management) and developed product strategies. However, with the management of IT-commands and the implementation of digital solutions I have never before encountered.
In high school, I didn’t burn much with computers either, but I loved literature, geography, history, algebra, geometry, biology and chemistry. At the university he received a chemical and technological education. Moreover, my first personal PC appeared at the age of 17 at the 1st year of the university. It was an ancient $200 miracle that worked every other time.
However, I’ve always been curious, looking for opportunities to work more efficiently and cost less, to structure work and use data to make quality decisions.
Gradually I sank deeper into the path. He first automatized weekly and monthly reports, then participated in the implementation of the asset management system, introduced a software package for collectors, analyzed digital projects in the Ministry of Energy…
For the time being, I have over a dozen different projects. Among them are the introduction of existing digital products in production, and the search for new management solutions. One of them I am working on right now.
What is digitalization, digital transformation?
The absolute majority of people, both representatives of production and business, and IT employees in production, do not distinguish between these two concepts. So, one of the most frequently asked questions is, how is automation different from digitalization and digitalization different from digital transformation?
In general, in the field of digitization, it is extremely important to remember one thing: it is not about technology, but about people and processes, about the ability to sit down and negotiate.
Let’s look at the classic definition of automation. It is an activity aimed at reducing the number and labor intensity of human manual labor in daily activities.
That is, automation proper is not always connected with IT.
Additionally, in the context of our topic, automation is the digitization and embedding of IT-technologies into existing processes, their acceleration due to the minimization of manual labor and the initial establishment of process management.
The key effect here is to accelerate processes and reduce the risk of human error.
Let us give examples:
– introduction of a «classical» ERP for resource management and planning or electronic document management systems that copy existing practices of «paper work» and often complicate the process;
– robotization and automation of routine operations (for example, RPA, which we will consider later).
Digitalization, on the other hand, is the introduction of digital technologies and systems, allowing to restructure business processes according to the principles of lean production and to make them more efficient and flexible, to start working with data and making decisions based on them. This process reduces internal costs and increases efficiency, allowing for competitive advantages within the existing business model.
That is, the key effect here – reduction of costs in the execution of processes, their improvement and creation of «flexibility».
Examples:
– implementation of enterprise management system with data warehouse, complex integration between IT-systems, optimization of business processes and use of end-to-end analytics and cross-functional indicators for decision making;
– Switch to cloud technologies and cloud services for the organization of work, using SaaS, PaaS, IaaS;
– Using blockchain contracts to exclude legal disputes between counterparties on complex projects.
Many experienced automators say digitalization is the conversion of data into units and zeros, and, of course, right… However, I propose to formulate definitions and look at everything from the standpoint of the answer to the question: «Why, to what?». That is, we share definitions based on the goals and objectives of the technologies.
This view arose because of the many automation projects seen, often limited to the translation of processes into IT systems. Meanwhile, the work grew more and more, and the processes did not change radically.
Additionally, digitalization is not always accompanied by automation. For example, the introduction of cloud-based document tools does not eliminate manual labour or automate processes. However, now you can work anywhere, you do not need to increase your server capacity, which reduces costs and removes restrictions. You don’t need to be in the office behind a working computer and invest in new equipment.
Another example is the use of the Trello board, which also does not automate anything by default, but allows you to rebuild the workflow, work more efficiently with information and be freer to work behind any device with an Internet connection. At the same time, the performance of the team sometimes increases by 40—50%.
Finally, I want to share the opinion of Peter Drucker, who in his book «Challenges of the XXI Century» gave a very good definition of the evolution of the term IT (information technology): previously there was a focus on T – technology, because they were our limiting factor, and the whole point was reduced to their development and implementation, as it gave advantages; now the emphasis shifts to the I – information, because you need to learn to process it with less cost, systematize, analyze and make decisions based on it.
As a result, automation is often about technology and digitalization is about information.
Perhaps now the difference between automation and digitalization should be clearer. However, what about the term «digital transformation»?
It’s a little more complicated than that, and arguing, arguing, and breaking copies is even more complicated.
Different sources interpret the term differently. For example: achieving operational efficiency and flexibility using digital technologies (Forrester Research); business model that allows you to create values and generate income (Gartner); attracting customers at any point of contact (Altimeter Group).
As you can see, there is no consensus and it is unlikely to appear soon.
At the same time, the term «digital transformation» is applicable in the context of one company or industry, but each of them in turn is an integral part of the digital economy.
What is this puzzle?
Roughly speaking, the digital economy is one in which all major transactions take place in a digital platform space that processes customer data and makes algorithmic decisions, reducing transaction times and the number of intermediaries.
If you, my dear reader, want to read all kinds of definitions, then use the QR code or the active link below.
Digital transformation (https://www.chelidze.group/en/post/digital-transformation)
From the definitions above it can be concluded that digital transformation is a global restructuring of business and management systems, processes using the results of digitalization and automation to increase commercial potential and increase profits. Main «effects» of digital transformation:
– a multiplier reduction in processing costs (receiving, transmitting, processing, analyzing);
– change of organizational structure, functions, culture;
– creating new products and business models;
– actively using cross-sectional analytics for decision making;
– «direct» digital channels of communication with customers;
– development and testing of new products based on hypothesis research results.
That is, the key effect here – the creation of new personalized products for «target audience» in combination with multiple reduction of internal costs.
Examples:
– exclusion of intermediate stages from the chain «manufacturer – consumer»; direct communication and delivery directly to the buyer (e.g. through the use of Amazon, Aliexpress platforms, etc.);
– bringing a new product or service to the market (for example, making parts to individual order size) without the need for complex negotiations;
– moving to a new business model (for example, instead of selling chemical fertilizers, switching to pay for the treated area and the results achieved or a subscription model).
In the end, the essence of transformation is not to introduce some IT systems or to abandon paper, but to completely rebuild the business model and organizational structure. Some of the divisions will cease to exist, so the digital and classical business will always a priori compete for the future.
Stages on the Path of Transformation
We have defined the concepts and objectives of transformational change, and now we need to understand the way to go, what are its main stages?
First, let us look back and recall that digital transformation is the final step in the complex transformation of an organization. Thus, the main stages of complex transformation are: automation, digitalization and re-engineering of business processes, digital transformation.
In this case, the first and second stages may switch places (personally I consider this replacement the best option).
Consider these steps in more detail.
