Why is it that transformations fail? Why is the blame often laid at the door of IT?
It's not (always) your fault
Let’s not pretend failure isn’t ever IT’s fault, often we have an important part to play in either the success or failure of a project. However, as the agent of change in a transformation is often a software change then it’s easy for the finger to be pointed at it.
A Digital Transformation should be a project or programme to change the business so that it can take advantage of engaging with customers or users using digital channels. Note, “change the business”, not “spend some money on software and hope it works”. IT must be an enabler for business function, it’s not a function in itself (unless you’re an IT company).
Too many companies lose sight of that truth between a vision from the board and delivery, as a result organisational change is either out of step with new ways of working or, worse, ignored. When that happens Conway’s Law rears its head and takes a large chomp out of the Transformation Programme sponsor’s backside.
Conway's Law?
Conway’s “Law”, for those who haven’t encountered the term before says:
“Any organization that designs a system (defined broadly) will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization's communication structure”Melvin Conway’s “system” isn’t necessarily a software product, but a software product certainly fits into the definition. Herein lies the challenge for transformation; at some point in the transformation the communication structures within the organisation will transform, but does this lead or trail the system? If the system and the communications structure are mis-aligned, then the organisation will try and use the new system in a way that’s representative of the old. At this point the transformation fails.
There’s more about Conway’s “Law” (including why I’ve put “Law” into quotation marks) on Melvin Conway’s own site here. I strongly recommend giving it a read.
This doesn’t mean that all Transformation programmes will fail, it does mean that software delivery needs to be thought about in the wider context of the organisation and it does mean that the business and IT need to work together to market, introduce and support the change that the transformation represents.
DigitalTeddy Solutions has years of experience working with organisations where Conway's law is working for, or against, the transformation imperative and we can help you plot, and implement, a course through this.
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