Introduction to Digital Transformation Roadmaps (Roadmap Series Ep 1)

Summary

Glenn Smyth, CEO of Fragile to Agile, discusses the importance of developing a clear roadmap for technology aligned with business strategy, often termed as the 'beacon' or 'north star.' His company specializes in creating digital transformation roadmaps that are 'shovel ready,' requiring prerequisites like a well-defined target state, a current state assessment, and a stable business model. Smyth emphasizes the need for a Business Capability Model to facilitate ongoing planning and design, ensuring the roadmap is traceable back to measurable business strategies, ultimately leading to an agile and adaptable organization.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Glenn Smyth, CEO of Fragile to Agile, emphasizes the importance of developing a roadmap for technology aligned with business strategy.
• 🌟 The 'Target State' is likened to a 'beacon on the hill' or 'north star', guiding the organization's business and technology systems towards the future.
• 🛣️ A roadmap is essential for making an organization's strategy executable, providing direction and clarity on how to achieve strategic goals.
• 🔄 While roadmaps may need to adapt to real-world conditions, having one and updating it is better than not having a plan at all.
• 🔄 The term 'Digital Transformation Roadmap' is often used, but it's essentially a well-executed Business Transformation Roadmap in the digital age.
• 🔑 Key prerequisites for an executable roadmap include gaining senior executive and board support, and ensuring the roadmap is of high quality and linked to strategy and benefits.
• 🎯 A clear definition of the target state is crucial, including understanding the required solutions and business capabilities.
• 🏢 The conceptual Target State architecture shows how systems will work together to support the business strategy.
• 📈 Understanding the current state is vital, achieved by mapping current systems onto a Business Capability Model to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• 🏗️ For large organizations, understanding the operating model and standardization of capabilities across different business units is critical for successful transformation.
• 🛠️ The Business Capability Model (BCM) is a stable tool for understanding the current state and planning the Target State, promoting business and technology alignment.
• 📊 The Business Strategy should be articulated in measurable, SMART outcomes to connect the Target State and Roadmap to the organization's goals.
• 📈 A one-page communication vehicle summarizing the transformation journey is a powerful tool for internal and external stakeholders.
• 🔄 Fragile to Agile roadmaps aim to make organizations more agile, adaptable, and flexible, setting them up for continuous improvement and agile delivery.
• 🏛️ The Integrated Architecture Framework is a consistent design framework that has remained unchanged for 23 years, providing a reliable tool for successful execution and governance.

Q & A

What is Fragile to Agile and what does it specialize in?

Fragile to Agile is a company founded and led by Glenn Smyth. It specializes in assisting organizations in developing, securing funding for, and governing the execution of a technology roadmap. This involves helping organizations understand their target state for business and technology systems to support their business strategy.

What is the significance of having a Target State and Roadmap for an organization?

A Target State and Roadmap are crucial as they provide a clear direction for an organization's strategy execution. They help bridge the gap between strategy and action, ensuring that the organization has a clear understanding of where it is heading and how to get there.

What does Glenn Smyth refer to as the 'beacon on the hill' or 'north star' in the context of business strategy?

The 'beacon on the hill' or 'north star' refers to the Target State for a business's technology and business systems. It is the ultimate goal that guides the organization's strategic direction and development.

Why is it important to have a roadmap even though it may not survive contact with the real world?

Having a roadmap is important because it provides a sense of direction and purpose. Even though it may need to be updated periodically to reflect real-world changes, it is better to have a starting point and a plan that can be adjusted, rather than having no plan at all.

What is the difference between a Digital Transformation Roadmap and a Business Transformation Roadmap according to Glenn Smyth?

According to Glenn Smyth, a Digital Transformation Roadmap is essentially a Business Transformation Roadmap done well. The distinction is that in the 21st century, most transformations are digital by default, and the goal is to adapt and evolve using digital tools and strategies.

What are the prerequisites for a roadmap to be considered 'shovel ready' or executable?

For a roadmap to be executable, it needs to be accurate, linked to strategy and benefits, and of high quality to gain senior executive and board support. This ensures that the roadmap is not only theoretically sound but also practically implementable and financially viable.

What are the three components of defining a Target State according to the script?

The three components of defining a Target State are understanding the required Solutions and the business capabilities they need to support, a conceptual Target State architecture showing how systems will work together, and a visually appealing representation of the Target State to aid in executive communication.

Why is it necessary to understand the current state of an organization's systems before developing a roadmap?

Understanding the current state is essential to map out a journey to the Target State. Without knowing the starting point, it's impossible to plan the necessary steps and changes. This understanding also provides immediate value and insights into the current systems, such as identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.

What is a Business Capability Model (BCM) and why is it important for roadmap development?

A Business Capability Model (BCM) is a tool that models what a business does, rather than how it's done or who does it. It's important for roadmap development because it provides a stable and less frequently changing model to understand the current state and plan the Target State, ensuring business and technology alignment.

How does the Business Strategy connect to the Target State and Roadmap?

The Business Strategy should be clearly articulated in measurable, SMART outcomes. This provides justification and traceability for the Target State and Roadmap, ensuring that they are aligned with and support the overall business goals and objectives.

What is the significance of the Integrated Architecture Framework mentioned by Glenn Smyth?

The Integrated Architecture Framework is a consistent design framework that covers all domains of an organization's design. It is a critical tool for successful execution and governance of transformation programs, having remained unchanged for 23 years and proving its effectiveness over time.

How does Fragile to Agile ensure that the organization becomes more agile through their roadmap development?

Fragile to Agile roadmaps are designed to not only align with and trace back to the business strategy but also to recognize the importance of change in the modern world. The goal is to make the organization more adaptable and flexible, setting it up for continuous improvement and an agile delivery approach.