Imagine you want to buy a new kitchen for your flat or house. Who would you trust more to help you get the layout and appliances that will keep you satisfied and happy for years - a designer from a particular manufacturer or an independent, passionate cook?
Despite the fact that every 'digital transformation project' really is a 'business transformation project' the project manager of this transformation will regularly be selected for their IT merits. Of course, there is nothing wrong about a solid technical background. However, I argue that the ability to understand, consolidate and track business needs and requirements, and thus act as a business ally is more important.
In earlier posts my colleague Dr. Russell Gomersall and I already stressed the point of involving business stakeholders and users early in any transformation and making sure to take the business users along through effective change management. Consequently, the Transformation Project Manager should be the guardian of business value and thus is instrumental for keeping the project goal and project execution aligned.
The need to have the Transformation Project Manager as a business ally increases with the size and complexity of the transformation, i.e. the number and diversity of business processes to be considered. The Transformation Project Manager will need to assure the project's focus on what the business needs rather than what has explicitly been requested or what the vendor "always" delivers, 'best practice' or not. The Transformation Project Manager must go beyond project administration and keeping the ball rolling. Below are some aspects worth considering.
Alignment with Business Objectives and Transformation Risks
Since project resources (esp. people, time, and money) are always limited, only understanding the business objective and its relationship to the deliverables will enable actively managing the transformation to provide the best output and value-adding outcome. The Transformation Project Manager does not have to be an expert on the specific business process but be acting as a catalyst for decisions on project priorities within business and technical boundary conditions. He or she would make sure the business need is captured comprehensively and comprehensibly for all parties.
This transparency, supported by clear priorities, is the essential prerequisite of both sequential (waterfall) and agile implementation strategies. And, you may have guessed that from my background, I am convinced that Business Process Management (BPM) is the discipline that most efficiently facilitates capturing and maintaining the required information and makes sure business and technical teams have a common coordinate system.
Regardless which implementation approach is selected, any larger transformation will have to address (adopt, adapt or fend off) requests for changes along the way. The argument for any response should start with the business value, and then balance it against the related effort (i.e. cost) and timeline impacts. Likewise, project risks should be assessed and acted upon relative to the capability to meet the transformation's business objectives.
Stakeholder and Change Management
Clear, business value-aligned priorities of the transformation are instrumental to answer the two principal questions change management must be able to address: 'What is in it for us?' and 'What is in it for me?'
Understanding the value proposition of the project top-down and bottom-up helps the Transformation Project Manager shaping change management strategies that are convincing rather than persuading. This will be even more important as most project stakeholders, especially when they are active project members will have the transformation assigned to them on top of their regular operational tasks.
Measuring and monitoring the progress and success of transformations all too often is based on what is easy to measure, rather than what is representing the anticipated benefit. Choosing the right metrics is an art that should be performed from a business perspective.
Conclusion
The points above would seem like asking for a kind of project manager super-hero or unicorn that my colleague Dr. Ikemefuna Allen wrote about, understanding all business and IT aspects of the initiative. Instead, I prefer the catalyst analogy, where the Transformation Project Manager supports or creates an environment where business and IT experts can interact and co-create desired outcomes. A solid basis in Business Process Management should always be considered an asset in the Transformation Manager's toolset.
A Transformation Project Manager as a business ally ensures that the project is not just technically successful but also brings value to the business, aligns with its strategic objectives, and is adaptable to its needs. This approach significantly improves the chances of the transformation project being both successful and beneficial to the organization.