The current global lockdown situation, caused by Covid19, has undoubtedly served to highlight and demonstrate the importance of the digital world both in companies and in our personal lives. However, and this is a personal opinion, it has also made it clear that we need fewer “experts” in digital transformation and more real transformations.
As happens, and probably always will happen, with many other concepts, the term digital transformation threatens to become a “hype”. A temporary trend that serves as an excuse to disguise (and sell) more smoke than reality, masking and diminishing the real value of the concept.
In these days we have seen experts, companies, and media loudly proclaiming the importance of teleworking and the benefits of digital transformation. Claiming that the current situation has brought about a revolution and an evolution in the way we work.
A commonly cited example is the use of the collaboration tool Microsoft Teams. Don’t get me wrong, Microsoft Teams is a great tool. Just like many others, in so many other areas. The problem is almost never the tool, it’s how it’s used.
The reality is that most companies are very late to digital transformation and I’m not just talking about Spain and Latin America. Furthermore, many of them still don’t understand its importance and are reluctant to change. This is something that Microsoft Teams, nor any other tool, is going to fix.
I have seen dairy product distribution companies counting daily orders and deliveries by hand, with a calculator. I have seen work reports for teams being recorded by taking a photo of a handwritten sheet and sending it via WhatsApp to an office, where a person would copy them into an Excel. I have seen adding and removing filling feathers for pillows, weighing them each time on a scale until it “more or less” gave the desired value. I have seen applying insulating varnish by hand to the plates that form the core of a transformer, performing the electrical measurement, and recording the results in an Excel.
These four examples are very noticeable and it’s easy to imagine a digital solution that improves the process. But perhaps it will surprise you that they are real examples from four large companies whose brands are leaders in their respective sectors.
What would we find in the rest of the companies? In how many do we find that 90% of their processes are still based on Excel sheets? How many have email as their usual form of interaction? In how many are collaborative tools used correctly? How many apply resources and prioritize (and not just “claim to prioritize”) the digitization of their processes?
Allow me to find it hasty to proudly wave the flag of digital transformation for having discovered Microsoft Teams. Given that it is a tool that, like its alternatives, has been on the market for some time. Even more so when it is being used, mainly, as a tool for video calls, as a “newer Skype”.
Propose creating groups, uploading files, using a Wiki to share information, linking it with Forms, Power BI, or third-party services. Suggest using it as a tool to manage projects or departments exclusively with Teams. If you get an affirmative response, I assure you it would be a personal joy and an unexpected surprise for me.
An important part of the problem is the “swing” of bombastic and semi-invented titles we are already accustomed to, especially on social media. It is very true that in this country we have the defect of “title-itis”, and many of you are aware of my opinion on the matter. But the truth is that, at least, not everyone can put “doctor” or “aeronautical engineer” or “architect” on their CV. Which, without meaning everything or by any means, is at least a first filter.
On the contrary, nowadays it’s “free” to call yourself an “expert in digital transformation” or “technology expert” or “Business developer madafaka-manager”. Without any accreditation, without any prerequisite. It’s as easy as putting it in your email signature (and note the irony of “in the email”).
With or without intention, these experts take advantage of the generally low technological culture in many companies. Often these self-proclaimed experts are internal to the company itself. By comparison, if I handle technology better than those around me, maybe I am an “expert”! That ends up with “look at this beautiful Excel with 4 macros I made for you”! Even with the best intentions, that is also part of your company’s problem.
Here, the concepts of “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king” and “there’s none so blind as those who will not see” come together for me. In an alternative term that we could call #DigitalBlindness, which combines a lack of technological knowledge, the vision to recognize it, and the will to change it.
I am sure that the situation we are experiencing will leave some positive things from the point of view of digital transformation. At least it has clearly shown that we were not prepared to tackle it. If you have doubts, ask acquaintances who work in IT infrastructure support, to see how their last few weeks have been.
On the other hand, and much to my regret, I am also convinced that many of the lessons will fall on deaf ears and we will soon return to the old and familiar demons of companies, represented by the network folder, the ubiquitous Excel sheet, emails, and massive meetings. It’s not so easy to leave old habits behind and not return to the warm shelter of your comfort zone.
So, please, let’s stop equating having a video conference with digital transformation. As we all know, digital transformation is much more than that, and it involves profound changes both technically and in mindset. But it requires creativity, knowledge, and, above all, conviction, to emerge from this #DigitalBlindness.
