Originally published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog; republished with permission from dStrategy Media.
Do any of these sound familiar?
- A digital campaign launches without measurement
- A new product launches but the online customer support content doesn’t get updated
- A new technology conflicts with an existing process in the online sales channel
Given all that we know about digital business today, how do these things happen?
It starts innocently. The pressure to launch – a responsive website, a Twitter account, anything – everything! – is such that the project kicks off without a clear, let alone known, process.
The requirement for action overwhelms the time available to plan. Suddenly, your digital presence suffers from the old “Fire, Ready, Aim” joke.
We promise there is a better way. Take advantage of established business planning tools such project plans and budgets. And, maturity models.
Take advantage of maturity models
A maturity model is business planning tool to help your organization improve processes against an established standard. Maturity models include assessment criteria and a method to score your efforts relative to the criteria.
The lower your score, the more opportunity there is to improve. The higher your score, the more you have optimized a given process, and the higher your maturity rating is.
Most importantly, the simplicity and clarity of a completed maturity model provides everyone in your organization a common starting point: the equivalent of the arrow on a map saying “You are here”.
What is a digital maturity model?
A digital maturity model is a business planning tool specifically intended to help your organization assess its digital processes against an established standard. Doing so will provide a framework – a road map, if you will – to progress your digital efforts.
By knowing where you are today, you are better able to decide where you could be in the future – and how you will get there. Assessing your digital maturity will help you visualize your path forward and set priorities for digital process improvement.
Introducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™
We created the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model, including assessment criteria and a rating method – from Zero, through Low, Medium and High – to help you assess your organization’s current digital maturity.
Our assessment criteria span six dimensions, each of which is necessary for the successful execution of digital strategy. The Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™ are described at each link below:
- Human Resources
- Technology Resources
- Data Strategy
- Content Strategy
- Channel Strategy
- Social Business Strategy
We look forward to discussing the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™ with you here, and at the next Digital Strategy Conference.
In 2013, we introduced the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™ at Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver, British Columbia and Ottawa, Ontario. Our audience not only confirmed the tremendous value that the Model provides, they asked, “What’s next?”
Share your insights
Next, we’re happy to report, is the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. Now in it’s third year, we invite you to share your insights.
Learn how to measure and map your organization’s digital maturity
Then, you asked us how you could map your organization’s digital maturity and how you could apply and act on your assessment results. We listened and launched the Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop Corporate Training, a practical, hands-on learning session to help your organization create a road map for digital success.
We look forward to the next step in our collective path to digital maturity with you!