The role of an Interim Manager in the digitalization of the company
Digitizing certain positions in your company is a key step , which considerably speeds up processes and significantly improves company performance. However, the digitization of processes often goes hand in hand with internal questions and fears raised by the teams. To ease these tensions and streamline the process, a transition manager is perfectly suited .
When should a company digitize its processes?
The deployment of new digital solutions is a major challenge for organizations. The slightest error can have significant consequences on their activity and on their turnover.
The integration of a digital solution is a process that must be planned and controlled with precision from the design of this solution. If there is no “typical” moment to set up the digitalization of a company, certain periods lend themselves more than others to taking the digital shift.
Digitalization in business has become essential for any manager who wishes to be a pioneer in his field of activity. For this, it is important to clearly identify the expectations of your customers and prospects.
- Implementing a digitization procedure following a request from end customers is often a winning strategy: users are indeed particularly receptive to digitization of the services offered by the company. According to a study carried out in 2016 by Credoc on behalf of the firm Euler Hermes, the French are at the forefront of households having adopted a digital service offer from their bank or insurer, with more than three quarters (77%) of ‘between them. This proportion rises to 84% for households that have a life insurance policy.
The market for the digitization of services is therefore very vast.
- The advantages of digitalization are numerous and beneficial for companies: cost reduction, improved customer service, etc.
- The digitization of services also fits perfectly into a broader perspective of change management. Digitization indeed offers advantages, particularly in terms of staff skills: employees can concentrate on tasks with real added value instead of spending precious time performing tasks of no real interest.
What are the 4 stages of digitalization in business?
The digitization of business processes is a long-term task. Digitizing procedures necessarily involves a gradual transformation of working methods and the management of human and material resources.
Indeed, digitalization is not only considered as a means of improving productivity, it also involves the transformation of the business model and management .
Here are 4 key steps in a business digitalization process:
- Start from Customers’ needs: digital is a way to improve relations with Customers, but to achieve this, you have to know how to identify their needs with precision. A digitization process decorrelated from the needs of the end user finds no real utility.
- Optimize processes: study processes in such a way as to optimize the efficiency of the company and reduce its costs. This step involves a detailed analysis of the processes in progress, and proposals for concrete actions to be implemented.
- Make employees accept change: the digitalization process requires new ways of working for employees. These changes in paradigms and habits are not always easy to accept. It is therefore necessary to demonstrate pedagogical sense and the ability to convince employees to accept these changes.
- Training of employees in the use of these new tools. Implementation of a structured training plan so that employees quickly familiarize themselves with the new tools and understand their relevance.
The role of an interim manager to support the digitization of processes
Many companies are turning to the recruitment of an interim management consultant to develop their digitalization and transformation.
Transition management consultants specializing in digitalization processes must have a variety of skills. Their role is to implement new tools and make their use as smooth as possible, but also to train employees and help them get to grips with this new environment. Relatively complex issues that require many skills:
- A real experience and technical expertise allowing to take control of complex procedures in a short time,
- An unfailing sense of communication to make employees aware of the importance of the challenges of digitalization,
- Proven pedagogical skills to effectively train people who do not have any technical expertise.
As a firm specializing in transition management, Reactive Executive puts you in touch with a confirmed expert in digitalization. The firm’s objective is to accurately identify the needs of their client company, to clarify the objectives of the digitalization process and to put the company in contact with competent interim managers whose profile corresponds to its needs, in terms of expertise and experience but also in terms of human qualities.
The digitization of a company indeed requires specific skills: design and deployment of an application, work in collaboration with a developer if necessary, management of a solution, risk management, etc.
Our team, made up of experts in transition management, intervenes throughout the process to help your company take the digital turn. Our Transition Managers are involved in the following stages:
- Analysis and understanding of the needs to digitize the company’s processes.
- Definition of functional and technical specifications.
- Implementation of an adapted project management.
- Development and drafting of specifications
- Implementation of pilot projects (with or without user participation) and feasibility study of the overall digital transformation project for your company.
- Design of the software solution adapted to the needs and constraints of the company.
- Assistance in the development of digital architecture and business strategy.
- Management of the integration phases.
- Continuous integration management.
- Maintenance assistance.
- Completion of CE identification sheets in accordance with the regulations in force and the Customer’s requirements.
- Implementation of impact studies, governance and legislation.
- Project follow-up, Progress report, Technical assistance, etc…
In conclusion, as part of a digital transformation project , an Interim Manager has its place: he is perfectly qualified to streamline procedures, remove any tensions and highlight the effectiveness of the new procedures in place.
