By reading this article, you will better understand the critical steps that should be included in every digital transformation roadmap and how to align it with technological requirements, budget, and general business goals. With a plan prepared according to our tips, achieving success will be much easier.
A QUICK SUMMARY – FOR THE BUSY ONES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A digital transformation roadmap serves as a strategic plan that outlines all the steps an organization must take to transition from its current state to a desired future. It helps businesses align technology with objectives, ensuring that each investment in tech supports the goals the organization strives to achieve. Moreover, it optimizes the entire digitization process by streamlining operations, increasing efficiency, and promoting productivity within teams responsible for software modernization.
A roadmap is also the best way to control budget and project scope. It provides clear direction and crucial milestones while allowing decision-makers to monitor and manage costs, as well as estimate potential timelines. Every company that wants to facilitate the development of new, modern products and services, should have a roadmap for digital transformation that showcases all the essential resources and activities to cover.
<span class="colorbox1" fs-test-element="box1"><p>Curious about some digital transformation examples? Learn how big players like Nike, Lego, Disney, Microsoft, and Audi approached digital transformation and succeeded.</p></span>
There are several points to check to prepare a roadmap that includes all requirements. Here’s our recommended list of stages to follow, with additional advice on how to execute them.
The whole process of creating a digital transformation roadmap should begin with the evaluation of your organization’s current digital maturity. This process should involve the assessment of the existing technology infrastructure and the determination of areas for improvement. Identifying outdated systems that require modernization and finding inefficiencies that block progress is crucial to prioritizing digitization goals. Every brand should focus on the operations that should be taken care of in the first place.
To-do:
Establishing a clear vision for digital transformation efforts is the next phase. It should align with business goals and include specific, measurable objectives. For example, companies can focus on the following achievements:
To-do:
Based on the vision and objectives determined in the previous step, the team should write down all the key initiatives that will drive the company’s digital transformation forward. These may include software modernization, cloud migration, introduction of advanced data analytics algorithms, AI integration, and more.
Legacy systems update might be one of the most important objectives - according to the State of Software Modernization 2024 Report, “(...) it is estimated that legacy systems cost businesses across the globe $2.6 trillion every year. 70% of IT budgets are consumed by this maintenance requirement alone”. This means that improving performance, scalability, and tech integration of outdated software should be imperative for all brands that still haven’t modernized.
To-do:
Not all initiatives can be tackled simultaneously. That’s why it’s crucial to pick the most pressing ones and handle them first. The prioritization can be based on various factors, including the impact on business goals, resource availability, dependencies, and technical competencies. Focusing on initiatives that deliver the highest value is usually the best strategy, but sometimes budget constraints or lack of skills can block some moves. Additionally, some parts of the digital transformation strategy must be completed before others can start.
The most mature organizations understand that a strategic digital framework is necessary to identify areas where they can take advantage of the benefits of digital transformation. - Dataversity
To-do:
The overall roadmap should also be divided into more detailed parts, each with its dedicated plan that includes:
To-do:
Digitial transformation process needs a budget. Conduct a thorough financial audit to understand your current financial position. Then, define the maximum budget that can be allocated without jeopardizing the organization’s financial health.
To-do:
Understanding potential risks and having strategies in place to address them can help ensure the success of the transformation process.
Potential risks are:
Technical risks
Operational risks
Financial risks
Human risks
Strategic risks
To-do:
Assembling a team with the necessary skills and expertise to execute a digital transformation strategy is a crucial step in every growth journey. Remember to include all activities that involve talent in your plan. Hiring new specialists who will be able to deliver the expected results might be required. However, outsourcing is an option to strongly consider - leveraging external partners can be the best way to optimize resources and get spectacular quality.
For example, working with developers from cost-effective regions like Poland is the best way to get a high level of technical expertise at a competitive price. A trusted outsourcing partner can play a pivotal role in any digital transformation. Instead of spending money and time on finding suitable experts, you get access to a large talent pool of IT professionals who can quickly fill skill gaps in your team. Lower labor costs compared to Western Europe and the USA mean significant savings and budget control. Additionally, outsourcing is a more flexible method of scaling dev teams and speeding up the production processes, which accelerates time-to-market.
To-do:
<span class="colorbox1" fs-test-element="box1"><p>Since you may need some help, here's a ranking of top digital transformation companies. You may also want to check top legacy app modernization companies.</p></span>
Successful digital transformation requires effective change management to ensure that involved stakeholders embrace new technologies and processes. Fostering open, honest communication and informing all interested parties about the progress is imperative to stay on the same page and address the challenges of each group. Training and adaptation support can also help teams thrive, so involving them in the roadmap is essential. Finally, creating channels to exchange feedback, discuss important matters, and address concerns promptly is the best way to execute digital transformation and achieve assumed goals.
To-do:
A key aspect of the digital transformation roadmap is to find the most optimal way to deliver robust software. There are several ways to do it. For example, working with providers that work with agile methodologies (at Brainhub, we use a Prince2Agile approach) increases flexibility and adaptation, improves collaboration, and supports teams in providing value in each iteration. Integrating DevOps practices supports automated software release processes for better reliability, proactivity, and continuous delivery.
To-do:
Digital transformation is an ongoing process. Continuous progress monitoring against the roadmap is more than welcome, but the team should also be prepared to make adjustments as needed. Conducting periodic reviews to assess the performance of software systems allows organizations to achieve true excellence. it’s also encouraged to watch metrics and KPIs - this way, everyone can be aware of achieved milestones and areas that require improvement.
To-do:
Creating a roadmap for digital transformation is a critical step towards software modernization and overall business improvement. It’s crucial when strategizing the whole process - it should be done with attention to detail and solid preparations. This way, organizations can predict potential challenges and minimize their negative impact. This allows them to focus on what matters and ensure their customers, employees, and partners experience spectacular results.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can develop a clear and actionable plan that aligns with your business goals. Leveraging the advantages of technology while also working with seasoned, established outsourcing partners can further enhance your transformation efforts, ensuring faster, better, and more controlled outcomes. Embrace the future of digital transformation and drive your organization towards sustained success and innovation.
Our promise
Every year, Brainhub helps 750,000+ founders, leaders and software engineers make smart tech decisions. We earn that trust by openly sharing our insights based on practical software engineering experience.
Authors
Read next
Popular this month