1 - Managing Digital Transformation Amid a Changing World and Workforce

1 - Managing Digital Transformation Amid a Changing World and Workforce

No one could have predicted how our world would change in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic altered our way of life practically overnight.

For individuals and organizations alike, the changes were swift and significant. As millions of employees around the world were suddenly working from home, the divide between those enterprises that could rapidly adjust and those who couldn’t was evident.

While digital transformation has long been recognized as a gateway to new revenue streams and more customers, its impact on workforce productivity is now more pronounced than ever.

Whether they’re working from home or any other location, your increasingly remote workforce needs frictionless access to resources to maintain any semblance of business as usual.

Many enterprises are fast-tracking digital transformation efforts to provide this access and keep up with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. And it’s anticipated that this accelerated pace will continue as enterprises charge ahead with the adoption of new technologies that can help them thrive in a changing world.

“The more change we see, the harder it is to believe businesses will go back to how things were before this crisis. This ‘no going back’ attitude is not just coming from the reality that COVID-19 will impact many in-person activities and spaces from open offices, to travel and events. The desire to change is also the result of seeing the positive impact digital transformation has on a business.” 1

Overcoming Typical Digital Transformation Obstacles

The race is on, but the obstacles that hindered digital transformation before haven’t gone away. While transitioning to the cloud is often part of a company’s digital transformation, not every on-premises application has a suitable SaaS alternative or is able to be migrated. More often than not, a hybrid environment of cloud and on-premises applications is needed at least temporarily if not for the long haul.

But not all identity and access management (IAM) solutions are designed to support hybrid IT. Trying to make do with an inflexible solution often results in additional costs, delays and risks to your cloud strategy. Your workforce productivity is also sure to suffer.

Many are already challenged to provide seamless workforce access while ensuring the security of resources. It’s a hard balance to achieve without the right identity foundation in place. Trying to forge ahead without addressing the foundational need for streamlined workforce access could negatively impact your efforts and ultimately thwart your gains. On the other hand, proactively transforming workforce access as part of your digital transformation strategy can effectively double your odds of success.2

Learn more about doubling your odds of success.

Read the blog

Improving Digital Transformation Outcomes

While digital transformation can yield big benefits, success isn’t guaranteed. A McKinsey Global Survey found that less than two out of 10 organizations (16%) experienced sustainable change and improved performance from their digital transformation efforts.3

The same study identified that providing your workforce with access to digital resources and information is often the missing piece of the puzzle. Those organizations that invest in technology to ensure workforce access are 2.1X more likely to experience digital transformation success.4

While providing that access may feel like a moving target as workforce dynamics continue to evolve, there are identity solutions built specifically to solve these challenges.

Zero Trust Drives Digital Transformation

An authentication authority provides the identity foundation needed to transform workforce access, while providing the solid footing on which to build your digital transformation initiatives. It also helps you transition to an identity-centric Zero Trust approach to security.

A Zero Trust model helps you set the stage for digital transformation success by ensuring:

Your workforce is able to get work done anywhere, anytime, on any device
Your enterprise has secure access controls in place to prevent costly data breaches
Your enterprise architecture is agile and adaptable to new business models and requirements

While digital transformation is needed to remain competitive in an unpredictable world, it must be undertaken wisely. A haphazard or band aid approach will only exacerbate underlying problems and hurt your progress.

Read on to learn:

3 ways legacy identity and access management tools hurt your progress
How workforce identity transformation propels digital transformation
Where to get started with your own transformation and set the foundation for success

Chapter 2

1 Milanesi, Carolina. “Digital Transformation And Digital Divide Post COVID-19.” Forbes. May 11, 2020.

2 “Unlocking Success in Digital Transformation Survey.” McKinsey. Oct 29, 2018.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Gillett, Frank. “The Global Information Worker Population Swells To 1.25 Billion In 2018.” Forrester. Oct 2, 2019.

6 “How Employees Engage With Company Cybersecurity Policies.” Clutch. May 15, 2018.

7 Ibid.

8 “9 Future of Work Trends Post-COVID-19.” Gartner. June 8, 2020.

9 “Unlocking Success in Digital Transformation Survey.” McKinsey. Oct 29, 2018.

10 “Securing a Remote Workforce.” Cyber Readiness Institute. March 2020.