Einfach mal die Perspektive wechseln

However, their own digital initiatives are not really moving forward. And it's usually not your employees' fault. That's why they're still everywhere: Internal information silos that absorb information instead of sharing it. Manual Excel processes that eat up your resources until there's nothing left. Data structures that no longer fit across system boundaries. Web stores that cook their own data soup. Clogged back-end systems that don't talk to each other and don't plan to in the future. These are just a few of the many possible reasons why digital initiatives are not moving forward.

But how do I figure out what actions will get things back on track? Which steps, in which order, will untangle the knot and ensure long-term success? We think: An appropriate digital strategy does not come as a standard, off-the-shelf program. You do A and then B happens and in the end everything is fine, business is booming, the customer is satisfied and everyone is happy: There is no such thing as a silver bullet. Digital trends come and go, and not everything that is hot at the moment is really necessary.

At Xtentio, we always take into account the individual situation, industry, history, market position and of course the capabilities and past successes of a company. This is the only way to find the right way into the digital future. Nothing is less effective than quick fixes based on parroted trends, prejudices or preconceived notions. Otherwise, you'll either set goals that are too big, too ambitious, and too much for the organization to handle. Or you get bogged down in mini-projects that are too small and too isolated. A lot of energy gets lost in micro-level discussions instead of being invested in higher-level and sustainable customer benefits.

The web store may have a fancy showroom and the hottest virtual reality, but the employees break into a sweat every time a product is changed or an order is placed. Or the "boring" spare parts business urgently needs to be digitized because it is missing out on huge revenue potential. Or customers drop off every day because customer service is unable to provide the right advice quickly enough due to outdated product information. Or wholesalers need to be regularly supplied with up-to-date product data and prices, but have to plan several months in advance for the data search.

Identifying these problems-and opportunities-requires a change of perspective that looks beyond the end of one's own nose. After all, any failure on the digital front will, in the worst case, result in the status quo being entrenched: What I don't change can't get worse. These behaviors also lead to a company that is constantly operating at capacity. It cannot scale, it cannot stabilize, it cannot grow, it cannot expand, and it cannot save.

And sometimes, despite this situation, management and the board have to be convinced that the right steps are finally being taken. Usually there are: isolated lighthouse projects, poorly networked applications, the isolated digital showroom for the trade show, the manually typed Excel files for the wholesaler.

But nothing that runs smoothly in day-to-day business without constant alarms and extra shifts. Because truly successful, sustainable and beneficial digitalization looks different.