衡量你的成功之路

马特奥Kotch

2019年6月7日

Benchmarking your digital transformation journey can help you learn and benefit from your competitors.

Digital transformation is perhaps one of the most widely recognized and bandied about terms in today’s business world. While we use it freely, many may not even be sure what it really means. 作为我之前的后续 博客 w在这里 I shared insights into five key steps to help businesses seamlessly embark on their digital transformation journey, 在本文中，我将重点介绍第二步, 更深入地了解基准测试的重要性.

Benchmarking refers to the process of comparing one’s business processes and performance metrics to industry best practices from other companies. It looks at your business compared to others within your industry to see how it stacks-up in terms of efficient processes, 盈利能力, 核心技术. For any organization embarking on a digital transformation, having a process in place that benchmarks your business over time can prove financially beneficial.

While it may be tempting to assume that the ‘grass is always greener’, the reality is that undertaking a benchmark assessment of w在这里 your business stands in comparison to your industry cohorts can help you identify whether you even need to embark on a transformation. 例如, if your assessment reveals that your business already employs more sophisticated technology than your competitors, 是否有更有效的流程, 并且在客户互动方面更加数字化流畅, embarking on a digital transformation may not be in your best interest right now. That’s because as businesses adjusts to new digital transformation processes they can experience a temporary decline in output and productivity which can subsequently impact 盈利能力.

然而, should a business be in the position w在这里 it appears to be lagging behind competitors in terms of technological proficiency, a benchmark process can help provide valuable insight into how competitors are faring on their digital transformation journeys, and provide information regarding what areas you should or should not consider adopting. Comparing your transformation roadmap to your competitors, 谁已经开始了他们的数字化转型, will provide you with real-life insights into what changes worked for them and what ones didn’t. 了解哪些变化有利于你的竞争对手, 会告诉你该关注哪里, 要避免什么, and whether t在这里 may be potential gaps in your digital transformation strategy. 这将帮助你避免陷阱和浪费金钱, 也, 这会帮助你在竞争中领先一步.

Comparing different approaches will help you proactively identify potential hazards that could delay your transformation journey. 更重要的是, benchmark findings can facilitate your ability to respond to emerging opportunities or threats that you may have previously ignored. 例如, 截至2017年, no insurance company had managed to complete a full digital transformation, but t在这里 were a few that were making progress on their journeys. 结果是, many executives across the industry began to realize that a successful digital transformation could ‘give birth to entirely new business models that shake up sectors, leaving companies that fail to adapt struggling to survive’.  These findings led many insurance companies to embark on digitally transforming their businesses.

Digital transformation is a comprehensive process that can require significant investment. Depending on how outdated business systems and processes are, 一些领先的咨询公司  suggest that upgrading an IT system could mean spending double the amount over a five-year period. 和, 即使有这么大的投资, the business is likely to see in a drop in profits as it works through the initial impact of the digital transformation. 更重要的是, 然而, when a digital transformation is needed and not carried out, 从长期来看，收入面临严重风险.

All of this to say that before committing to embarking on any digital transformation journey, it is imperative that businesses undertake a comprehensive benchmark assessment not only to determine whether it is required for their business, but also to learn from the mistakes and the successes of their competitors. 毕竟，重新发明轮子没有意义.