THE SIX STAGES OF

DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
MATURITY

By Brian Solis

Custom research by Altimeter Group on behalf of Cognizant

THE SIX STAGES OF DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION MATURITY
Introduction
Investing in technology isnt the same as digital
transformation. Pretty much every company is putting
Digital Transformation
money into new tools, platforms, and services. Doing
so is a matter of becoming tech-enabled, which doesnt The realignment of,
mean companies are actually changing to compete in a
or new investment in,
digital economy. With digital transformation, however,
technology is driven by purpose, and that purpose is
technology, business
meant to reshape business. models, and processes
to more effectively
Of the companies Ive studied over the years, Ive
learned that digital transformation isnt an outcome or compete in an
an end-goal; its a complex but enriching journey. So far, ever-changing
none would suggest they have reached the end of the digital economy.
digital transformation process. In fact, many would state
theyre beginning or are in the process of an enduring
enterprise-wide pilgrimage. At a time when everything
is changing, the end state keeps evolving. Whats important is to find and build ways to be
relevant now. This means changing everything from the inside out to become more nimble
and resilient for our current and future worlds. What Ive seen is that those who are bold
enough to make change, realize great benefits.

Lets be clear. Digital transformation is big and costly. It can and will cover everything from
effectively engaging customers and employees, forming new teams to collaborate, forcing
process improvements and innovation, optimizing business models and inspiring new
infrastructures, et al. When organized into approachable steps, digital transformation offers
a tangible strategy for understanding and incorporating change. In the process, businesses
break ground while making significant progress along the way, changing from a state of
business as usual to a culture of innovation.

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Introduction (continued)
After spending time with countless businesses undergoing this process of adaptation,
Ive learned that change happens in a series of identifiable stages. By categorizing the
commonalities found within these stages, a pattern emerges as the baseline of a digital
journey. Outlining the key attributes of each stage also helps companies chart their course
toward desired waypoints, which is often unique to each organization. At the same time,
understanding the steps businesses take throughout their journeys also helps executives
benchmark their progress against those who have already undergone change.

This framework provides a digital maturity chart. Its purpose is both prescriptive and
aspirational. It helps companies take an objective look at their own current state progress
before trying to move forward (or even recognizing the need to do so).

To illustrate the complexity along the way, weve included five digital transformation
case studies to illustrate efforts of companies from different industries, highlighting their
challenges, successes, and where they failed.

Our goal is to create not just a sense of urgency, but also a usable roadmap to steer you on
an informed and tested path toward change and the many benefits that unfold in the process.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Need for Digital Transformation................................................. 4

An Optimists Perspective on Digital Darwinism.............................. 5

Digital Transformation Starts with a Shift in Perspective................. 6

Putting People Front and Center of Digital..................................... 7

The Six Levels of Digital Transformation Maturity........................... 9

Case Studies...................................................................................... 17

Your Next Steps Towards Digital Transformation Maturity............ 27

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THE NEED FOR
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Most businesses try to adopt new technology as soon as it becomes available in the market. However, if it were
a matter of implementing and roadmapping the right technology, architecture, and services for your business,
change would be much easier to manage. And, truth be told, anyone could then transform successfully. Instead,
technology has impacted not only markets, but also customer and employee behaviors, expectations, and the
overall digital journey. Your transformation plan must align with market changes using new technology that
serves as an enabler to compete at scale in the new (and evolving) world.

Digital transformations purpose (and the work associated with it) isnt isolated to any one group or area of
business; its enterprise-wide. Its meant to align with and guide how employees want to work, how customers
want to shop, the products and services you develop, and the innovation that affects everything in between.
What was once confined to IT and the work of the CIO is now distributed across the enterprise. At the same
time, department-centric efforts lack the vision, leadership, or collaborative infrastructure to support a holistic
approach. This work will change that.

What does that look like?

Technology teams.

R&D is building communities to explore crowd engagement to fix problems and

ascertain new possibilities for innovation.

Sales teams are investing in technology applications that facilitate customer

identification, engagement, and management.

The supply chain is ripe for innovation, and digital transformation blows the doors
wide open for optimization and complete disruption.

Marketing is driving investments in technology and resources to chase and lure the
new digital customer.

Customer service is deploying new software platforms to improve the customer

experience (CX) through support and CRM initiatives.

HR is investing in new systems for employee prospecting and engagement.

Digital transformation is taking place everywhere whether or not its appreciated or recognized. The point we
must understand, however, is that it is happening asynchronously throughout the organization. And, its often
happening without an experienced conductor. This is akin to trying to build a futuristic city without a master
plan, understanding who will live and work there, and why theyd want to (whats in it for them). Beautiful
buildings and homes might be constructed in isolation, but there would be no unified infrastructure to support
community, commerce, and the harmonious functioning of a population because architects might have missed
its spirit, behavior, expectations, and aspirations.

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AN OPTIMISTS PERSPECTIVE ON
DIGITAL DARWINISM
I inherently believe that Digital Darwinism is a good thing. Yes, society
is evolving. Yes, customer and employee behavior is changing. Yes,
companies are indeed at risk of losing relevance if they dont compete Digital Darwinism
for the future today. But think about it. Change, as hard as it is, can
be a good thing. It inspires improvements in the way companies work
Its not just for the
and create and deliver value to employees and customers. Those incumbents or
companies that invest in digital transformation are by default investing marketing leaders. Its
in modernization, process, system improvements, and, in most cases,
innovation. The results are measured in effectiveness, efficiency, longevity, a level playing field,
and relevance, which add up to a roster of significant competitive and everyone can,
advantages that make companies thrive in the face of Digital Darwinism.
and should, try to
Whats even better is that any business can do so right now. Its not just be better.
for the incumbents or marketing leaders. Its a level playing field, and
everyone can, and should, try to be better.

Leadership doesnt always have to come from the top. Leadership can come from anywhere. What most excites
me in an era of Digital Darwinism is the opportunity for new leaders to rise and new ideas to be hatched.
Anything and everything is truly possible now. All it takes is a vision to see something differently, passion to
bring that vision to life, and creativity to find new possibilities and solutions.

Digital Darwinism gives way to innovations that define not only the next steps for transformation and your
organizations path to digital maturity, but also new philosophies, models, and processes that pave the way for
a new genre of business.

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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STARTS
WITH A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE
According to MIT/Sloan research1, 63% of executives revealed that the pace of technology change in their
organization was too slow. In the same report, the most frequently cited obstacle to digital transformation was
a lack of urgency.

Change is difficult to implement in any organization.

63%
More so, once change is underway, it can be painfully
sluggish and slow. But in an era of Digital Darwinism
where businesses must adapt or die, ignoring
of executives revealed that the pace of
change is not an option. Clearly we have work to do.
It starts by making the case, ringing the alarm bells,
technology change in their organization
and creating a sense of urgency that puts threats and was too slow.
opportunities front and center.

The pace of technology isnt slowing. In fact, its only accelerating. And its impact on customer and employee
behavior (and expectations) is happening faster than most companies can react to.

Sometimes simply comparing societal standards to our current models for business is both startling and
enlightening. Think for a moment about the smartphones and tablets we use today. There was a time when
those devices were not considered in the companys technology roadmap. At some point, the pervasiveness
of these new devices and their inherent capabilities and benefits became impossible to ignore. They not only
charted the course forward, they also started to introduce important changes in behavior. People were always
on and learning how to do things that were new, but more effective and natural. The new screens required
gesture-based interaction. Apps and networks were reinvented in the process, and everything was suddenly
intuitive and elegant. In short, technology and how people used it became more advanced outside the
workplace. Said another way, coming to work was like stepping back in time.

This is important because nowadays people make tech work for them in their day-to-day life, their way. They
swipe, pinch, zoom, and essentially hack everything to work for them. Like water flowing over rocks eventually
carves out a new surface, customers define their own buying journey and employees work the way they want
versus the way they are expected.

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PUTTING PEOPLE
FRONT AND CENTER OF DIGITAL

Digital transformation is decades old, and yet young at the same time. Either way, it makes many executives not
well-versed in technology uncomfortable after all, it is an evolution or a modernization of what weve always
done and shifting it toward something new and unfamiliar. And, digital transformation is bigger than any one
role, group, or line of business. This is fantastic news. It means your belief in change is your path to something
more important than what youre working on today.

In many cases, the roadmap on which youre operating represents yesterdays vision of tomorrow. Its dated.
And, even though youre committed to budgets and performance plans, it still doesnt change the fact that
you have a fiduciary and genuine obligation to do whats right by connected employees and customers. They
expect something more relevant, personal, and real.

I often hear, and maybe you do too, that customer or employee centricity shouldnt necessarily focus directly on
people but instead an amalgamation of our assumptions of who they are, what makes them tick, and what they
want or need.

Theres a famous Henry Ford quote oft shared as testament to these false notions: If I had asked people what
they wanted, they would have said faster horses.

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 If I had asked people what they wanted,
they would have said faster horses.
-Henry Ford

The presumption is that people only know what they know or dont know what they dont know. How could
we possibly transform our product or business around them? Its true. It would have been an exceptional case
for a customer to say that they wanted a horseless carriage or even an automobile. But in a way, they did.
Through their routines, challenges, and aspirations, Henry Ford saw that the opportunity for innovation and
transformation was rooted in transportation efficiency and scale. Et voila! A horseless carriage was born, and
automobiles followed soon thereafter.

Whats true for customers and employees is true for you and your partners as well. You only know what you
know as well. In the absence of information, understanding how digital customers and employees have
changed and continue to do so is at the heart of digital transformation. And the most mature companies
investing in digital transformation start with people and then define a roadmap where strategy, technology, and
processes are informed by digital insights. Imagine this. The impact that the automobile had in transportation is
much like the effect innovation and change will have on
business operations.

Oh, and by the way, turns out that no one can prove that Henry Ford actually said those celebrated words. But
it is what he did say that drives the point home about digital transformation and the importance of perspective.
In Dale Carnegies classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Ford offered these words of advice: If
there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other persons point of view and see things
from that persons angle as well as from your own.

Digital transformation requires you to see things you must invest in based on a view of tomorrow that is
informed by how customer and employee behavior will change or adapt.

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THE 6 LEVELS OF
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION MATURITY
Every business faces Digital Darwinism. Some companies are far along the digital transformation process, while
others have yet to begin a formal transformation strategy. Either way, every business tracks itself according to
key stages that help communicate waypoints and direction. Identifying what those stages are and what defines
them is the purpose behind a new research-based maturity model, The 6 Levels of Digital Transformation
Maturity. It organizes the key moments and milestones along the path of digital transformation to offer
visibility and guidance to those change agents leading the way.

Through my research, Ive identified six key stages many organizations go through in their digital
transformation. Lets take a walk through each level and their defining attributes at a high level.

6 Levels of Digital Transformation Maturity

.
6 ATE
5. OV
4. D INN OR
1. 3. FORME
BUSIN 2. ADAPT TRANS DIE
!
ESS SYSTEMIZE OR AND G
TEST
AS FORMIN
USUA AND
AND DIE TRANS
L STRATEGIZE
LEARN

New technology sparks Sense of urgency Strive for relevance Digital Culture of innovation
imagination and accelerates escalates Transformation is becomes a priority
experimentation the DNA

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1. BUSINESS AS USUAL
Here, businesses do just as the category says, which is to operate as normal. Businesses ignore or are unaware
of the risks and opportunities of Digital Darwinism and continue their course as planned.

A lack of urgency exists and, thus, any need to change is largely rebuffed. Were profitable today! Why should
we change? is the common refrain. Additionally, the culture of the organization is mostly risk-averse, with
investments and ideas that operate within established confines and generally discouragement of anything or
anyone that suggests otherwise. Sound familiar? This type of thinking validates business as usual and, thus, the
organization operates as it always has.

While digital is not ignored, it is not used as a formal directive within a digital transformation approach.
Organizations are still following technology-first roadmaps and processes that are years old. As such,
technology is a mechanism for optimization, scale, and efficiency in operations, but little else.

Other attributes that define businesses in this phase demonstrate a lack of understanding or infrastructure around
digital. There is no mastery of what digital is and no formal understanding of its impact on customers, employees,
and markets. As such, a vision for whats possible and a plan to work toward it are absent. Training, strategies,
metrics, and workflow initiatives around digital are, for the most part, ad hoc.

Additionally, the overall CX is still managed by individual departments (silos), with fragmented processes and
systems that do not connect the dots in sales, CRM, support, or marketing. This is caused by a lack of one
customer view across the organization.

Marketing is still campaign-based across multiple social, digital, and traditional channels with little or no
collaboration across different disciplines. Most of the time, strategies are rooted in conventional practices
without taking into account new platforms and networks and how to leverage them differently.

Data exists in separate caches for every channel, without any opportunity for cross- or omni-channel
engagement throughout the customer lifecycle.

2. TEST AND LEARN

Companies are starting to get it in this phase, usually because someone in
some department recognizes that things arent working as is. Or they see other Groups largely
businesses doing things differently.
still work in silos
As such, digital, mobile, social, and all disruptive tech introduces new but become
opportunities to test and learn internally and externally. Change agents take increasingly efficient
action, which isnt necessarily organized or centralized. This creates internal
at experimentation
buzz and concern around change and amplifies the opportunity for chaos as
rogue experiments occur in isolation without cross-functional collaboration.
and tracking results
But champions are the believers, and they serve as the sparks for driving digital
transformation. Previous failures or lackluster investments help agents of change discover that early pilots and
experiments in emergent channels enable them not only to learn, but offer proof points for success. These early
efforts can also serve as internal best practices and case studies for whats possible.

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Groups largely still work in silos but become increasingly efficient at experimentation and tracking results.
Companies in this stage are still at the cusp of understanding how to invest in new programs that track
against classical metrics and KPIs versus how to rethink possibilities and outcomes and how they can change
measurement standards.

Companies explore how to better understand the connected customer journey and start to invest in research or
workshops that get executives and strategists out of their comfort zones. Customer journey mapping and even
employee journey mapping unveil possibilities for next steps. For example, post workshops, investments in
social, mobile, digital, and content strategies are experimented within respective groups where we start to see
early forms of cross-team sharing and collaboration between them.

Now, the company, though still operating in silos, expands into new spaces led by individual groups or loosely
defined circles to explore new possibilities for internal and external programs. Additionally these initial teams
explore how to work outside their coverage areas to make greater impacts while also making the case for more
support and resources.

Customer data for each channel still exists in silos; however, focus begins on acquiring customer data through
listening. This listening capability also informs much of the content strategy, with efforts to create more real-
time relevant content rather than relying solely on campaigns created by outside agencies.

As these efforts continue in isolation, for the most part, groups become increasingly efficient at
experimentation, moving them toward a formalized approach. This experimentation extends to trying out new
technology platforms and channels, including social and mobile.

3. SYSTEMIZE AND STRATEGIZE

Digital transformation starts to trigger strategic investments in people, processes,
and technology. The organization is getting smarter, with its change agents The organization
seeing the bigger picture and starting to work formally toward it. We start to see
IT and marketing form a working or formal alliance to expedite investments and a
is getting smarter,
supporting infrastructure for transformation. with its change
agents seeing the
The Test and Learn stage offered tastes of new possibilities. At this point,
companies are investing in ways to learn more about where and how to make
bigger picture
more formalized investments for greater impact. Programs become more and starting to work
intentional, and we also start to see the early stages of uniformity taking shape. formally toward it.
Executive education is key in this stage to earn support for formal programs.

Digital literacy now becomes a primary focus to help stakeholders become masters of these new domains
(digital, mobile, social) and how to operate within them. Among transformation and each technology circle,
innovation becomes an official focal point to identify new opportunities and potential disruption outside of the
organization.

Teams seek to more formally optimize efforts and resources. To do so, an executive sponsor for digital
transformation is sought after and a case is made to earn official support. This introduces leverage, structure,
and overall executive attention. As such, the sponsor and change agents invest in formal working groups (aka

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taskforces) to test and learn through organized, cross-functional pilot programs usually focused on the digital
customer experience (DCX). The team also explores technology investments and partnerships to scale pilots and
possibilities.

Improving the DCX becomes a driver for transformation since it is tied to business goals and outcomes. Here,
companies get traction through notable, but still largely disparate, pilot programs strewn across multiple functions.
Led by change agents, pilots still tend to focus largely on DCX and marketing. Usually, a deeper customer-journey-
mapping exercise is conducted to reveal additional opportunities and priorities for transformation. As the journey
is studied, data is analyzed and new consumer behavior and preferences feed into redesigning the DCX. Asking,
What would my digital customer do, and how is it different than those who are more traditional? helps focus
priority areas and efforts.

Understanding the digital customer also plays a significant part in expanding this work to include programs, people,
and processes to support new efforts.

Sales and support initiatives start to find their way into the mix. As change agents either operate in silos
themselves or are matrixed into helping other departments with their pilots, the lack of formal unity becomes
a real pain point as change agents push forward and solving for it becomes tenable.

Metrics overall start to mature across every program to scrutinize and optimize investments. Data too becomes
fundamental to informing everything from understanding connected customer journeys, preferences, behaviors,
personal interests, and context to using customer-facing technology to optimize the experience.

New expertise in these areas becomes a mandate, with new roles and responsibilities joining existing
departments or becoming part of the digital transformation team to improve research, recommendations,
and progress.

At the same time, content and overall marketing strategies start to shift from multi-channel broadcast
campaigns to targeted/real-time engagement (personalized) opportunities that also unite efforts and facilitate
cross-functional collaboration in each network/channel.

4. ADAPT OR DIE
If a flag were raised over HQ, it would read, Adapt or Die! Theres notable momentum at this point, and
change is something that the entire organization is starting to recognize and appreciate.

Businesses in this stage are becoming resilient. Efforts in digital transformation become intentional with
short- and long-term goals/outcomes supported by investments in infrastructure. In fact, efforts are now more
ambitious and organized formally, moving beyond prioritized-but-focused pilots to official pilots that span every
category affecting the DCX and beyond. These include sales, service/support, and marketing, of course, but
also start to expand into HR, product development, manufacturing, etc. Additionally, categories are formed
under each, where common resources are shared across once-disparate departments, including:

Data Education and Training

CRM Governance
Content

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Change agents are no longer outliers (does this mean that they are very
common?). They now get a seat at the table with authority and accountability Content is
to drive transformational strategy. At the same time, the working group
optimized for each
expands its footprint and focus to formally modify processes and models
necessary to support scale and further transformation.
channel, and there
are coordinated and
Digital and mobile initiatives are no longer the victims of traditional strategy
automated efforts
bolt-on campaigns. Instead, strategies start with digital, mobile, and social
and then inform traditional approaches.
between paid,
owned, and
The DCX is still a priority driver for change. With learnings and insights bringing
earned media.
teams and executives together, new roles and models are established to further
lead transformation in priority areas, such as mobile and other key touchpoints of
the DCX. This gives way to formalizing the digital (employee) experience to make strategic investments in catering
to connected employees, how they work, and how to help them find success.

Investments in people, processes, and technology are formalized to optimize existing or new touchpoints in the
digital customer journey. Efforts shift the traditional sales/marketing/commerce funnel focus to a more dynamic
model that adapts with changes in technology and behavior.

Content is optimized for each channel, and there are coordinated and automated efforts between paid, owned,
and earned media.

Experts explore mass personalization and contextual programming to provide more effective engagement
strategies across every touchpoint and channel.

Digital literacy is a mandate across all groups working on CX, as well as executives. New technical skillsets
are also brought in to enhance capabilities in data, analytics, content, mobile, R&D, service, support, and
loyalty. A focus on innovation also matures, leading to a next-gen matrixed approach to solve for innovation
opportunities, starting with tours of innovation hotspots, such as Silicon Valley.

New data investments help monitor performance and news areas of opportunity. Tools and data systems are
integrated to create a single view of the customer across every interaction point.

Because data becomes more prominent in this stage, privacy and security become paramount within the
organization. Consumer privacy cannot be violated in any way that loses trust. This is true for personal
details related to not only commerce, but also in how businesses use consumer data. Additionally, corporate
intellectual property is more important than ever before. Sonygate was a painful call to businesses
everywhere to invest in critical safeguards. This introduces the need for someone to lead security and risk
mitigation while continuing to push new initiatives forward. This emergent role manages how the company
utilizes personal information sourced from customers and employees, while also protecting the companys new
media assets.

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5. TRANSFORMED AND TRANSFORMING
Digital transformation is now in the companys DNA, and it becomes constant.
Along the way, these efforts have reshaped the enterprise, creating new Leadership
models and operating standards affecting people, process, and technology by
function and line of business at both the local and enterprise-wide level. The transcends this
organization is operating in a more unified manner with digital transformation movement into the
efforts led/managed by a governing body. establishment of a
Every function and business unit of the company is managing aspects of new agenda around
digital transformation locally and also enterprise-wide. IT and other key culture, purpose,
functions invest in dynamic architecture and sophisticated/mature technology
to optimize the change process and empower new models to collaborate
and the future.
and adapt. This is done according to a renewed or cutting-edge vision and
mission for this new stage.

Leadership transcends this movement into the establishment of a new agenda around culture, purpose, and the future.

As other groups realize the impact of digital transformation, efforts are then expanded to transform the lifeline
of the business, including employee engagement, productization, ERP, etc.

New working models, roles, and resources are developed and employed to optimize and scale transformation.
We start to see new Officer titles emerge, such as Chief Digital, Chief Security, Chief Experience, etc. These
evolve over time, but their initial focus is important.

New products and services are developed as a result of transformation.

DCX is still the leading driver for ongoing change. But now, everyone operates against a single view of the
connected customer and employee. As such, digital and mobile experiences are defined and optimized.

Change agents become new leaders of the digital and physical CX.

Marketing strategies shift beyond campaigns with an emphasis of investments made in ongoing, day-to-day
programs, resources, platforms, metrics, and data.

Content is optimized for each channel and rooted in context to personalize engagement across devices based
on their state and intent within the journey.

A harmonious journey map with intent and attribution is created for each touchpoint. Innovation in strategy,
execution, and measurement continues to push innovation forward in every facet that touches and supports
everything around the customer and employee ecosystems.

The level of investment that went into understanding the DCX is also prioritized and formalized for the
employee experience. This work eventually leads to new policies, operations, and technology that affect work,
performance, and HR. HR is evolved to modernize the incumbent workforce, recruit new talent, and eliminate
the uninspired.

Digital literacy is now a way of business.

Learning is continuous.

Decision-making is optimized and focused on immediate and next-gen results.

Every part of the organization is responsible for the CX and also innovation.

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6. INNOVATE OR DIE
A culture of innovation becomes prevalent. Now, new models, roles, and
investments shift toward innovation to accelerate transformation and identify A culture of
new, unconventional opportunities for growth.
innovation becomes
The workgroup(s) once dedicated to transformation and technology shift focus prevalent. Now, new
toward innovation and disruption. They quickly evolve into the next iterative models, roles, and
effort or the next stage in transformation to understand how to identify investments shift
innovation and disruption outside of the organization. Innovation centers or
towards innovation
teams are officially formed to recruit new talent, identify new technology and
investment/acquisition opportunities, and learn where to focus transformation
to accelerate
efforts over the short/long term. transformation
and identify new,
The organization is supported by a flatter management and decisioning unconventional
model rather than a traditional hierarchy. Ideation and knowledge acquisition
opportunities for
are part of everyones everyday job. Executives and the teams/departments
and individuals they manage are not only empowered to ideate; they are a
growth.
measured part of performance at every level. This means that ideas are
sourced, sorted, prioritized, and explored as part of the day-to-day
management infrastructure. Employees are expected to contribute to progress, and managers are measured by
their ability to identify and triage bona fide opportunities. Time is often allocated in the normal work schedule
to allot for learning or ideating. Additionally, higher education is offered to instill new expertise and keep
employees in line with the needs of an evolving digital organization.

To understand how innovation affects business and how to apply lessons internally, leadership embarks on guided
tours of technology hotspots, such as Silicon Valley. In these cases, executives meet with companies leading the
way for innovation, such as Twitter, Tesla, Facebook, and Ideo, among others, to get a firsthand view of how and
why they operate differently.

In more advanced instances, innovation centers or teams are officially formed within the organization or moved
to an innovation hub or hubs around the country/world. The objectives for these groups vary and often include:

Recruiting new talent

Identifying new technologies for
internal piloting
Investing in or acquiring startups
Surfacing new opportunities for
products and service development

Furthermore, many innovative companies are seeking to actively become contributors or members of these
communities to further spotlight innovation to the community at large, as well as to the greater organization.
This is done, for example, by hosting hackathons, startup showcases, and conference-like programming to
help entrepreneurs and business leaders learn from industry experts and
thought leaders.

Shifting toward innovation unlocks an entire different maturity model. Lessons learned here are applied in real
time to improve internal and external operations, as well as market strategies in specific cases. As time passes
and experience develops, insights are examined for greater impact across the organization.

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THE MATURATION OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
IS CONSTANT
This was just a cursory overview of the important stages a business faces as it digitally transforms. Even though
each stage is representative of noteworthy chapters in digital transformation, they are not absolute nor
meant to convey a linear path, nor is any phase isolated unto itself. I have learned time and time again that
organizations can and do occupy more than one stage at any one time.

Digitals impact across the enterprise is vast. And transformation is only partly defined by technology. Its
ultimate success is defined by the reworking of several key business functions, processes, and models, with the
state of each contributing to the evolution of digital maturity. This includes governance, education and training,
CX, employee engagement, data, marketing/content strategy, digital integration, and innovation. Combined,
in any size and shape, investments in any or all of these fronts equate to digital transformation. Its extent
and impact define placement on the maturity map, which demonstrates progress, orientation, and direction.
As long as youre not stuck on the left side of the maturity steps, your organization should be on its way to
competing for the future rather than capitulating to Digital Darwinism.

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CASE STUDY 1:
CBRE INVESTS INTERNALLY FIRST,
EXTERNALLY SECOND

LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY TEST

AND
SYSTEMIZE
AND
LEARN STRATEGIZE
CBRE is at the early stages of digital transformation maturity. The worlds
largest commercial real estate services firm serves owners, investors,
and occupiers alike. Its efforts on internal modernization and big data
place CBRE mostly in the Test and Learn phase. The company is however, investing in datas application
to customer engagement and product innovation, which also start to move it closer to the Systemize and
Strategize phase.

THE CHALLENGE:
To date, most of CBREs digital transformation efforts have focused
We found that until we
on making its internal organization digital first.
went through the process
Our single biggest DT effort is not focused on digital but around our of cleaning out the old, we
own workplaces, says Elie Finegold, Senior Vice President, Global
couldnt bring in the new.
Innovation and Business Intelligence. We found that until we went
through the process of cleaning out the old, we couldnt bring in - Elie Finegold, Senior Vice
the new. President, Global Innovation and
Business Intelligence
Another challenge for CBRE is to implement a unified strategy across
all its lines of business. Currently, many different aspects of CBREs
digital channels are being handled by different departments, which makes it harder to implement a strategy
across the board. While many of the top-down digital initiatives originate from IT or innovation groups, some are
also inspired by business lines themselves. In the absence of an official owner of digital transformation, however,
the CMO and CIO are committed to leading these efforts together.

CBRE believes that a big part of digital transformation is about improving the ability to advise clients and do it
at scale without losing touch with them. Thats a challenge, exclaims Finegold. We have traditionally been a
high-touch business, and improving the customer experience will mean delivering information, in a timely way,
with less overhead use of customers time than we had before.

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THE APPROACH
The set of investments CBRE is making is in organizing all its market-
facing data. The companys product is mainly services. As Finegold
Its about getting all the
explains, this means its product can only be complemented or
improved by smart people who are enabled by vast, yet distilled
information that other
data. Its about getting all the information that other people dont people dont know into
know into forms that is acceptable and accessible around the rest of forms that is acceptable
the company, she says. and accessible around the
CBRE is also investing in developing products that allow its rest of the company
employees to present data for their customers in ways that are new
- Elie Finegold, Senior Vice
and innovative. This means building applications that are customer President, Global Innovation and
facing but still held by its people. Innovation will affect everything Business Intelligence
from systems that help translate client portfolios into analysis and
insights for more value-added presentation and advisory.

Data is part of the solution. But so is process and collaboration. Customer information must be shared in order
to improve services locally and enterprise-wide. As a way of enhancing the DCX, CBRE invested in business
infrastructures that unite its brokerage professionals and the organization as a whole.

There are certain pieces of information that can be very valuable to the company, but brokers can be reluctant
to share it unless they know it can be leveraged to help the business, Finegold explains.

To combat this, CBRE developed an application that helps take real estate data on an iPad and presents it in
a way that is beautiful and customer intuitive. It helped create more deliverables for customers, and they were
immediately delighted by the experience.

The influx of information, in turn, led to a ramp up in the companys data management capabilities since it
now had to manage more data in ways that it hadnt before. There was more pressure to quickly filter the
data, process it, and get it back to the app, Finegold shares. That, in turn, led us to start developing tools to
advance data distribution.

The company started with the end in mind and then built the data and value chain backwards rather than first
building a technology system that may or may not meet the needs of corporate, brokerages, or customers.

18
CASE STUDY 2:
BANK OF THE WEST FOCUSES ON
ALL POINTS OF INTERACTION WITH
THE CUSTOMER

LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY SYSTEMIZE

AND
STRATEGIZE
Bank of The Wests digital transformation efforts fall mostly in the Systemize and Strategize part
of the maturity spectrum. There has been a clear initiative taken to drive digital transformation
across the organization, manifesting mostly in making its customer-facing experiences (website,
mobile, tablet, and in-branch) more contemporary and convenient for the customer.

THE CHALLENGE:
The way we look at digital transformation is really through the lens of
the customers, enabling customers to interact in the channel of their
choice, says Andrew Diggdon, VP of Customer Experience, Digital
Channels at Bank of The West. We have to respond to behavioral The way we look at
trends in digital, delivering the right kinds of experiences that our digital transformation is
customers demand. really through the lens of
While the bank currently has a large enterprise data warehouse the customers, enabling
to store customer transaction data from all channels, it is still customers to interact in the
challenging to put that data to use in real-time situations. The channel of their choice
enterprise data warehouse is a good place to recognize behaviors,
but real-time actions taken on incoming data are more challenging - Andrew Diggdon, VP of Customer
Experience, Digital Channels
to execute, says Diggdon. Weve been working on real-time lead
generation that allows our branch representatives to be informed of
opportunities to help customers driven from our CRM capabilities.

Although Diggdon says the bank has made much progress in its digital transformation across the bank, it is still
working on integrating the efforts between marketing and its new digital capabilities. The challenges are not
only in terms of technology integration its complex to integrate multiple channels into our CRM so that we
can deliver leads and offers to our bankers and to our digital channels, says Diggdon. Theres the question
of how you use the capability once you have it, how do you create the right offers - the marketing aspect is
something we continue to work on. We have been successful in prioritizing higher-quality leads and making it
easier to do multi-channel appointment scheduling.

19
THE APPROACH
In the last four years, Bank of The West has taken formal steps to embrace digital transformation, expanding
its digital channels team from 10 to 60 people and adding development and technology teams to support it.
While there is no central, or single, digital transformation leader, each department within the Bank drives its
own digital transformation initiatives, with objectives for efficiency, simplicity, and cost lowering.

The banks content strategy follows a similarly autonomous approach,

where each product team creates content around its own product,
utilizing support from the CX team on how to best present it.
This content consists mostly of product details, pricing, and other
The changes have
attributes that would be relevant to either a current or potential been not just in terms
customer. The banks social team creates content that mostly serves of major platforms, but
the brand-building function, collaborating with different lines of also in building out the
business to educate and provide interest-generating material for the
capabilities of the teams
general public.
and methods that are
Previously, the bank outsourced almost all of its CX elements to being utilized
outside agencies. Since then, it has built out its own user experience
design capabilities, as well as a research arm to test and deliver - Andrew Diggdon, VP of Customer
Experience, Digital Channels
optimal experiences. A major part of that has been re-platforming
the technologies that support its customer touchpoints. This included
overhauling its content management system to create a much more
contemporary and user-friendly bankofthewest.com, as well as the introduction of mobile and tablet experiences.
The changes have been not just in terms of major platforms, but also in building out the capabilities of the teams
and methods that are being utilized, says Diggdon.

Branch representatives, as well as senior executives, are continuously educated on the banks new digital
capabilities and products so they can clearly communicate the benefits to customers. In addition, Bank of The
West has a market intelligence unit that has dedicated research relationships to inform product managers.
It also utilizes voice of customer listening posts, both in its branches and its digital channels, to measure
satisfaction and get feedback from customers directly.

20
CASE STUDY 3:
TACO BELLS DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION STARTS
WITH SOCIAL

LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY SYSTEMIZE

AND
ADAPT
OR
STRATEGIZE DIE
With its heavy focus on building out each digital channel in a gradual
roll-out, Taco Bells maturity falls somewhere between the Systemize and
Strategize and Adapt or Die stages of the maturity model. It recognizes
the need for a unified strategy and is continuously searching for new ways to improve the customer experience,
despite lacking a central team or executive to formally drive digital transformation.

THE CHALLENGE:
Taco Bells approach has been to achieve a high level of maturity in each individual digital channel before
uniting them all in a single platform. It needs to be a consistent consumer engagement platform, so melding
all of those pieces is on the horizon, says Cory Priggs, Senior Director, Global Consumer Technology
Experience at Taco Bell. But you have to get all the separate pieces up and running first; if you try to do it all
together, youre set up to fail.

The motivation behind creating a unified back-end system is to provide a unified front-end experience.
Consistency is what our customers are looking for. If they go to TacoBell.com or the mobile app, they should
be able to place an order, says Priggs. They are going to expect loyalties, offers, and other individual
experiences tailored to them, but initially we have to go broad. Eventually, the more localized and personalized
we can get the better.

This level of personalization means matching the right creative, text, and commerce offers to the right person, i.e.,
not displaying a picture of a big beefy burrito on the website when the customers preferences are vegetarian.

The challenge in achieving this level of dynamic personalization is unifying customer data into a single accessible
source. However, this presents somewhat of a chicken-and-egg problem for the company, says Priggs.

When you get access to data you didnt have before (like mobile or social), are you going to first get a
CRM or get in by setting up silos and then worry about aggregating data in one place later? Priggs asks.
Unfortunately, the data strategy will come after we set up the channels. Currently, they reside in pockets (call
center, mobile app, social listening), but development is happening in parallel.

21
THE APPROACH
The catalyst for Taco Bells digital transformation efforts has been its social media presence. Taco Bell is one
of the best-loved brands on Twitter2, regularly interacting with individual customers and frequently posting
endearing, humorous content. Now that it has built up a sizeable following and brand image, the fast-food
chain is tentatively beginning to introduce elements of commerce to its social channels, as well as building out
its capabilities across mobile and web.

The digital marketing team has done a great job in creating a

voice on social, where you have to be present, have something to
say, and get customers talking back to you, says Priggs. We do We do a lot of social
a lot of social listening as well, we have a fishbowl setup with big
screens that are constantly listening to customer sentiment across all
listening... we have a
channels. fishbowl setup with big
screens that are constantly
Following its social media success, Taco Bell recently launched its
mobile app in October of last year. The app allows users to customize
listening to customer
and put in their food orders ahead of time and pick them up in- sentiment across
store at their convenience. Priggs says the goal is to extend this all channels.
capability to the website as well so that the same customer can be
- Cory Priggs, Senior Director,
recognized across all channels, allowing for more personalization and
Global Consumer Technology
customization. Experience
Priggs says the most crucial aspect of any transformation is
people and processes rather than the technology. You need to
be constantly reevaluating people and processes along the way,
he said. You have to constantly shift roles and responsibilities to
evolve; thats where you need structure to get you where you need
to go.

22
CASE STUDY 4:
AURORA HEATH CARE RELIES ON
DIGITAL EXPERIENCE TEAM TO DRIVE
TRANSFORMATION

LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY ADAPT

OR
TRANSFORMED
AND
TRANSFORMING
DIE
Aurora Health Care is a healthcare provider serving communities throughout
Eastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Services include an array of
healthcare resources and access points, such as primary and specialty care at
its hospitals, pharmacies, labs, and home care.

Auroras level of digital maturity lies between the Adapt or Die and Transformed and Transforming level.
This can be attributed to its unified CRM system, which houses customer data from multiple sources, its
commitment to creating high-quality digital experiences for customers, and the presence of an independent
team to drive digital transformation throughout the organization. This team is focused on improving the
experience across all customer touchpoints and delivering high-value solutions that engage consumers and
internal stakeholders. The digital experience team works independently on systems of engagement but also in
partnership with operations and IT on larger integrated solutions.

THE CHALLENGE:
In a highly competitive industry, Aurora seeks to distinguish itself by
providing its patients high-quality digital experiences on whatever We want to be able to
device or channel they choose to be on. deliver on all aspects of
We want to be able to deliver on all aspects of the customers
the customers needs,
needs, regardless of device; were striving for complete integration regardless of device; were
in the end, says Jerry Janis, Senior Vice President of Strategic striving for complete
Planning at Aurora Health Care. For example, using a device such as integration in the end
an Apple Watch, our healthcare provider would be able to monitor
a patients workouts, especially after they had undergone some sort - Jerry Janis, Senior Vice President
of treatment. Additionally, recovering from an orthopedic surgery, of Strategic Planning
the patient could report asynchronously through an app or schedule
video conferencing to demonstrate improvement in range of motion
instead of coming into the office for an appointment.

23
Innovation is an area that also demands investment for Aurora. The idea of innovation as a component of our
culture is taking hold in small pockets but is not a part of the corporate culture, says Jamey Shiels, Auroras
Head of Digital and Social Business Strategy. It is definitely encouraged, and processes are emerging with
concepts like an innovation lab and innovation team being created. The evolution of these models or process
will be helpful in recognizing and formalizing our approach to innovation.

Another major challenge for Aurora is supporting much of this transformation with the right type of personnel.
Identifying individuals with the skills and experience with technology has been difficult, with positions for
technical architects and digital marketing analysts remaining open for extended periods.

THE APPROACH
To deliver on optimal CXs, Aurora has invested in a major effort to establish a CRM system to aggregate
key data around the consumer. This data will be used to deliver a personal communications solution that is
rendered both online and offline.

Another big area of investment is in identifying platforms and building a technology stack to support all
systems of engagement. The initial push is focused on technology platforms for digital experience and
customer relationship management. The long-term roadmap will integrate existing systems to improve the
overall tracking and data aggregation to develop a complete view of the consumer.

24
CASE STUDY 5:
SEPHORA BUILDS ON ITS DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION WITH AN
INNOVATION LAB

LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY TRANSFORMED

AND
INNOVATE
OR
TRANSFORMING
DIE
Cosmetic specialty retailer Sephora is a great example of a company that
is far along the digital transformation maturity spectrum. It has received
widespread praise for its attention to CX, both in-store and on digital
channels, as well as its knack for consistently being an early adopter of new technology. Sephora was one of
the first beauty retailers to launch an online store and was also early to mobile. In a recent report by L2 on the
Best Mobile Experiences of 2014, Sephoras Sephora To Go mobile app was recognized as a best-in-class
example of cross-platform loyalty club implementation which also incorporates omnichannel strategy.4

But what really places Sephora in the Innovate or Die level of the maturity model is its commitment to
continuous innovation and its high level of preparedness for compelling disruptive technologies that might
influence its customers and their experience with the brand.

THE CHALLENGE:
In order to maintain its already high standard for technological
advancement, it is imperative for Sephora to continuously innovate,
staying one step ahead of where the market is going.
When we think about
ourselves, we think about
When we think about ourselves, we think about constantly
constantly innovating and
innovating and staying ahead of the curve, says Bridget Dolan, VP,
Sephora Innovation Lab. The mission is to make sure we are listening
staying ahead of
to our clients needs, our internal employees and the ideas they have, the curve
and keeping a finger on the pulse of trends, all the while competing - Bridget Dolan, VP
with ourselves to make sure were always innovating.

25
THE APPROACH
To continuously adapt to new technology and consumer behavior, the brand invested in The Sephora
Innovation Lab, an independent team of Sephora strategists dedicated to improving and advancing every
aspect of the customer experience. The teams lab office is located in a warehouse that serves as, among
other purposes, a workspace model for Sephora stores, where they are free to try out new ideas with fixtures,
lighting, and other creative elements. The goal is to give the team a brainstorming space that is in the same
space as a store, allowing them to test their CX ideas as soon as they come up with them.

The space also serves as an area to meet new technology vendors and test their solutions before implementing
them on a wide scale.

Weve been testing beacons and augmented realities for customers stepping into the store, but technology
also cant be in a vacuum; it has to be integrated with the entire experience, and you have to test it that way,
says Dolan. At Sephora, its never going to be just on a phone or a tablet; its going to be the whole store.

Technology cant be in a vacuum.. at Sephora,

its never going to be just on a phone or tablet;
its going to be the whole store.
- Bridget Dolan, VP

26
YOUR NEXT STEPS
TOWARD DIGITAL MATURITY
Digital transformation is indeed a journey, and with every journey comes the steps that move you along your
way. Use Altimeter Groups 6 Levels of Digital Transformation Maturity as your guide to move forward, and
even thrive, in an era of Digital Darwinism and more so, build a business thats future-proof.

To help you on your way, we assembled a series of actions that provide a blueprint for implementing a Digital
Transformation Plan.

1. Benchmark your a. Document the attributes you feel youve accomplished or that
companys place within are currently underway.
Altimeters digital maturity
b. Assess the depth to which each has been accomplished thus
framework.
far to ensure your business is on par with leading companies
passing through each phase.

2. Develop a list of areas a. Compile a list or notate areas up to your current state that have
in digital transformation not yet been addressed.
that require attention
b. Talk to stakeholders in each group about priority opportunities
at enterprise and
and challenges.
departmental levels to
move you to the next c. Conduct audits, where necessary, to surface information or
ideal phase. needs not readily available.

3. Place all initiatives a. Review findings with stakeholders to organize and prioritize
according to priority on opportunities.
a 1-to-3-year roadmap/
b. Outline next steps and needs for each.
timeline.
c. Identify parties and resources needed.

d. Assign responsibilities for involved stakeholders.

27
 Assign a digital
4. a. This role will require leadership support, focus, and
transformation leader. empowerment.

b. Early steps that need to be taken by this leader include:

i. Postpone or sunset digital initiatives misaligned with
the plan.
ii. Dene accountability for addressing the plan, remove
roadblocks, communicate to the broader team the digital
imperative, and hold the team accountable for investment.
iii. Report progress, successes, and challenges to executives.

Break out of silos!

5. a. Ensure all key functions and stakeholders are presented.
A digital transformation
i. Lines of Business
team is formed to:
ii. CX
iii. IT
iv. HR
v. Legal
vi. Finance

b. Serve as a rapid decisioning team to triage opportunities,

select existing digital experiences to simplify or sunset, and
track progress.

c. Lead initiatives that locate and fix gaps in customer and

employee experience to meet near-term business objectives.

d. Maintain a cadence for working against the pipeline, report

updates, and make quicker decisions.

Dont lose momentum.

6. a. If you arent moving forward, youre not moving in the
right direction.

b. Once you have momentum, prevent it from slowing; otherwise,

it may stall.

c. Remember, Digital Darwinism favors those companies that at

least try.

28
ENDNOTES
1
2013 Digital Transformation Global Executive Study and Research Project, MIT Sloan Management Review
2
http://www.mic.com/articles/73129/5-ways-taco-bell-is-killing-it-with-social-media
https://enplug.com/blog/5-lessons-best-brands-social-media-2015
3
https://openforum.hbs.org/challenge/understand-digital-transformation-of-business/why-digital/sephora-s
integration-of-the-digital-and-physical-world
4
http://www.l2inc.com/research/best-in-mobile-2014

AUTHOR
Brian Solis, Principal Analyst
Brian Solis (@briansolis) is an award-winning author, prominent blogger, and keynote speaker.
Solis works with enterprise organizations and technology vendors to research the state
and direction of markets, competitors, and customer behavior. Through the use of proven
frameworks and best practices, Solis analyzes trends, opportunities, capabilities, and areas
for improvement to align new media initiatives with business priorities.

About Altimeter Group About Cognizant

Altimeter is a research and consulting firm that Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider
helps companies understand and act on technology of information technology, consulting, and business
disruption. We give business leaders the insight and process outsourcing services, dedicated to helping the
confidence to help their companies thrive in the face of worlds leading companies build stronger businesses.
disruption. In addition to publishing research, Altimeter Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant
Group analysts speak and provide strategy consulting combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology
on trends in leadership, digital transformation, social innovation, deep industry and business process
business, data disruption and content marketing strategy. expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that
embodies the future of work. With over 100 development
Altimeter Group and delivery centers worldwide and approximately
1875 S Grant St #680 217,700 employees as of March 31, 2015, Cognizant is a
San Mateo, CA 94402 member of the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes
[email protected] Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among
www.altimetergroup.com the top performing and fastest growing companies in the
@altimetergroup world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us
650.212.2272 on Twitter: Cognizant.

DISCLAIMER
ALTHOUGH THE INFORMATION AND DATA USED IN THIS REPORT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES
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ADEQUACY, OR USE OF THE INFORMATION. THE AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS OF THE INFORMATION AND DATA SHALL
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