Driving Digital Strategy - by Sunil Gupta

Sunil Gupta, a professor at Harvard Business School, has written extensively about digital strategy. In his book "Driving Digital Strategy: A Guide to Reimagining Your Business," he outlines a five-step process for creating and executing a successful digital strategy:

Step 1: Define the digital ambition

Gupta argues that the first step in any digital strategy is to clearly define the organization's digital ambition. This means answering questions such as: What do we want to achieve through digital transformation? What are our key goals and objectives? What do we want to look like in the future?

Step 2: Assess the current digital state

Before embarking on any digital transformation, it is important to assess the organization's current digital state. This includes identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis). It also means understanding the organization's digital capabilities, culture, and leadership.

Step 3: Design the digital architecture

Once the organization's digital ambition and current state have been assessed, the next step is to design the digital architecture. This includes defining the organization's digital infrastructure, platforms, and processes. It also involves selecting the right technologies and partners.

Step 4: Implement the digital strategy

Once the digital architecture has been designed, it needs to be implemented. This includes developing and executing digital projects, managing change, and training employees. It also involves measuring and tracking progress towards the organization's goals.

Step 5: Evolve the digital strategy

Digital strategy is not a static plan. It needs to be continuously evolved to adapt to changing market conditions, technologies, and customer needs. This means regularly reviewing and updating the strategy, experimenting with new ideas, and pivoting when necessary.

Gupta also emphasizes the importance of leadership in driving digital transformation. CEOs and other leaders need to be actively involved in the process and to set a clear vision for digital success.

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In addition to these five steps, Gupta also identifies four key principles for successful digital strategy:

• Customer focus: Put the customer at the heart of every digital decision.
• Data-driven decision-making: Make use of data to understand customer behavior and optimize the customer experience.
• Speed and agility: Be willing to experiment and quickly adapt to changing conditions.
• Digital leadership: Provide the resources and support necessary for digital transformation to succeed.

By following these principles and steps, organizations can create and execute a successful digital strategy that will drive growth and innovation.