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Don't Be Afraid of Change: Drive Innovation Without Sacrificing Quality

Appian Contributor
May 24, 2017

Historically, businesses have changed slowly and cautiously, carefully planning out every phase of the process and backing the change with market research. In today's enterprise, organizations are just as cautious and intentional about change, but they are receiving feedback from the market at such a pace that they must complete changes with greater speed and efficiency. Data analytics are providing real-time visibility into customer interactions with businesses, allowing them to quickly identify when strategies are or aren't working. Similarly, internal analytics can track employee performance, making it much easier to identify the need for change.

Data doesn't just help companies figure out when change is necessary, it can also provide a pathway showing them how and when they need to change. Furthermore, cloud computing is making technological change easier than ever. Application development platforms are enabling business users to build out apps to meet their changing needs on an ongoing basis. Mobile devices offer operational flexibility, giving workers freedom to get the job done where and when they want. However, all of these options create a layer of complexity that businesses must contend with as they manage change.

Technological innovation is a double-edged sword for the modern enterprise. On one edge, it gives companies the flexibility and transparency to make changes quickly in light of market demands. On the other, the diverse technologies that make this change possible create process and technical complexity that businesses must overcome as they strive to digitally transform.

Digital transformation is helping companies be more responsive in light of constant change.Digital transformation is helping companies be more responsive in light of constant change.

Understanding Problems Businesses Face with Change

Businesses that drive digital transformation and sustain positive change gain an advantage - a study from Bain & Company and Red Hat found that organizations that have invested in digital are eight times more likely to have increased their market share than those that have not. The move to digital can lead to the creation of better products three times more quickly than at less mature digital organizations. However, many organizations are struggling to drive the change surrounding digital transformation.

A report from Deloitte explained that approximately 70 percent of enterprise change initiatives fail. Despite the high frequency of failure associated with change, companies are still proceeding with change initiatives at an extremely rapid pace. To some extent, such frequent failure persists because companies fail to fully understand their unique organizational dynamics. They tend to assume that everybody involved shares a major common interest. In reality, there are typically power dynamics at play within the company, not to mention general resistance to change, that businesses often underestimate. Furthermore, every business context is unique, and companies sometimes neglect issues as they enact change projects.

Business process management software empowers organizations to take the raw data that is beneath change and build it into everyday operations. This combines with app platform capabilities that allow for rapid development that helps organizations respond to new requirements quickly and efficiently.

"Pressure to change on an ongoing basis doesn't have to overwhelm businesses."

Driving Change With Minimal Disruption

In many cases, fatigue around the constant pace of change is one of the major detriments affecting the rapid evolutions taking place in the modern enterprise. Organizations that need to drive change, but are also concerned about keeping employees on board, can use process management technologies to ensure that everyday operations remain efficient and simple as workers are asked to take on new tasks.

For example, a financial services firm working to redefine its loan application processing operations can use modern BPM to digitize tasks and make life easier for workers. Replacing paper forms with digital reports allow employees to adjust their operations without too much disruption because they'll be left with less clerical work. Triggering new processes through alerts that are built into apps saves users from having to hop out of their daily workflows to adjust to a new requirement.

Modern BPM technologies have their foundation in standardizing and streamlining processes. When these capabilities intersect with app platforms and business intelligence tools, organizations are able to make backend process changes without disrupting employee experiences in a negative way. Pressure to change on an ongoing basis doesn't have to overwhelm businesses. Instead, digitizing process management functionality creates the flexibility and underlying infrastructure needed to drive organizational change in sustainable, steady ways.

Don't let the fear that change will be too disruptive hold your business back. Instead, take control of your company's destiny with digital transformation tools that provide the transparency and process coordination necessary to drive healthy, continual change.