Compelling (Digital) Strategy Development
Today’s fast-moving, unpredictable and competitive business environment requires an organisation to have a clear and achievable digitally-led vision and strategy to be successful.
Our Solution
Is designed to help businesses create a clear and compelling business vision and strategy, where the role of digital is clearly laid out for maximum benefit.
It begins with the definition of the critical objectives of the organisation. This leads to a comprehensive analysis of the market and business to identify areas of opportunity and threat-including where digital can assist. From this insight a clear vision of the ‘future state’ of the business is created, which together with the objectives and fact-base, leads to the development of a compelling and achievable business and investment plan suitable to the company’s vision and objectives.
A plan supported by an integrated roadmap of change delivered by prioritised sprints, measurable to allow adaptiveness as needed, and clear so everyone in the organisation can understand it setting the foundations for a successful delivery stage.
Will Barribal
Senior Partner, Strategy, Leadership & Innovation
Solving These Challenges and Bringing These Benefits.
Challenges
A limited vision of what the business should look like in the future and the role digital has to play. No ‘north star’ for everyone to understand and work towards.
- An existing business strategy under pressure due to rapid changes in customer, competitive, regulatory and environmental conditions-which now requires fundamental change.
- Strategic approaches that are too complex and have limited chances of successful delivery.
- Conflicting and unclear roadmaps where ‘digital’ is on its own path rather than integrated into the business plan to produce clear benefits.
- A lack of digital knowledge across critical parts of the organisation, with limited knowledge of the ‘digital art of the possible’ to improve customer experience and business performance.
- Concerns amongst existing teams about digital change and how it could negatively impact their roles.
‘Digital’ cynicism within the organisation due to past failures.
- Low maturity of capabilities and practices within the organisation to make the change smoother and faster. Impacting progress and execution success.
Benefits
- A clear vision of what the business will look like in the future from a customer, employee and business perspective. Providing the all-important ‘north star’ for everyone to work towards.
- A business plan, strategy and delivery roadmap suitable to the organisation’s objectives, clear on the role of digital within, can practically be delivered to improve performance and value.
- An integrated roadmap and delivery process that produces benefits quickly and incrementally to solve ‘digital’ cynicism as needed.
- Clarity on the approaches and capabilities needed within the organisation to make change smooth and faster. Setting the business up for execution success.
- Internal communications that bring the transformation programme to life and promote benefit rather than fear.
- Wider digital knowledge across the organisation, upskilling the team to improve customer and business experience through digital innovation.
How it is Delivered
Using our proven strategy development methodology, we undertake the following steps. A series of steps adjustable in terms of ‘depth of activity’ to meet the precise needs and budget of our clients.
1. Plan & Governance
The creation of a compelling vision and strategy is complex and takes time. Therefore, in order to control the process and ensure its timely delivery, the activity is put under project control and governance. The foundation of effective central change capabilities used through the strategy development and execution phases.
An initial project framework is put in place that mirrors the steps of our approach. Activities, responsibilities and timelines are set. Decision-making authority is also decided so the strategy programme can progress at pace.
2. Insight & Analysis
Work is conducted by the DWG strategy team and members of the company to develop a comprehensive ‘fact-base’ on the market and the company.
Market analysis covers core geographies and sectors the organisation operates within and adjacent areas to analyse trends and needs of customers, competitors and the industry operating model to identify threats, opportunities and weaknesses. Further insight can be developed on potential M&A targets to inform on the suitability of that method of growth.
Internal analysis of the organisation is conducted, covering all the important aspect of the business including customer-experience, go-to-market and trading, customer service, operational processes, technology and data, and human capital to show strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for where digital may provide benefit. Additional analysis identifies the organisation’s capability to undertake change, highlighting strengths and weaknesses.
DWG digital experts also work with the senior leadership team to expand their knowledge of digital as required to help understand the ‘art of the possible and feasible’.
3. Vision & Strategy Development
Working closely with the senior leadership team the DWG strategy practice helps the organisation to set core and measurable objectives.
Using the objectives and the fact base, the strategy programme moves into the creation of the business vision. Often utilising our ‘workshop methodology’ this involves the development of a clear picture of what the business should look like from a customer, employee, competitive and business model perspective. Setting a ‘north star’.
With the business vision and insight materials, the programme moves onto the execution strategy and investment planning. Together, DWG strategy resources help the senior leadership team to shape the strategy, understand the implications to the business model and investment needs and make decisions. Core KPI’s are developed as part of this step, ensuring the approach can be measured and adapted as needed over time. Solutions – as required – are built into the business plan to resolve organisational weaknesses in capabilities to undertake ‘smooth and successful’ change.
Finally, from the strategy, an informed and achievable roadmap is developed. With core ownership across the executive team, the activities are set to be delivered in prioritised sprints so value is delivered quickly and incrementally through the lifetime of the execution phase.
4. Communicate
Once the strategy is set, work is conducted to translate that into an internal communication program. A program using language and methods to bring the business vision and strategy to life for all members of the organisation and important strategic partners as needed. Building enthusiasm and momentum, rather than fear and resentment of the change.
5. Execute, measure, iterate
Through the execution phase core KPI’s are used to ensure the delivery of the strategic plan not only happens as expected in relation to time and budget but ensures it is also adaptive to changes in market and organisational conditions. Helping to build responsiveness and agility into the heart of the organisation.
Our Typical Client
Our Strategy Development Service is for any business, big or small, domestic or international that is looking to develop their business strategy or refresh an existing one.
Whether you are in financial services, charity & not-for-profit, telecoms, retail & ecommerce, B2B or another sector, we can help.
“DWG provided the necessary strategic, technical, and programme expertise to enable WVUK to lay the foundations for a robust coherent way forward to deliver an essential step change in our digital capabilities.”
“Clear expertise in strategy development, knowledge of the payments industry, flexible/ inclusive approach, all delivered on time and to budget, made for a great experience..”
“…DWG enabled a rapid maturity of our digital capabilities in product, insight, marketing and organisation..”
“DWG re-energised us and gave us the structure and confidence we were missing. We are now building on the momentum they have created and forging ahead with digital change across the organisation”
Expert Insight
Andrew Salmon
Managing Partner
Andrew Salmon
Managing Partner