Businesses are now operating amidst widespread disruption, which stems from changes in society and regulations, coupled with the threats and opportunities presented by the exponential advancement of technology.
Against this backdrop, it is no longer viable to plan a single “one shot” Digital Transformation. Rather, organizations must be able to constantly adapt at pace: seizing opportunities and neutralizing threats as they arise. They must also innovate extensively, not just to revolutionize the products and services they offer, but also to highly optimize their internal operations. The Digital Business Continuum is an approach to running an organization which enables this combination of rapid adaptation and extensive innovation.
In this paper we define a framework for the Digital Business Continuum, and explain in detail what is needed in terms of purpose, resource allocation, leadership, governance, organization structure, and culture.
We also explore how a company can ensure that it is outward facing: constantly sensing and searching for opportunities and threats.
We recognize that the exact approach that any business takes to becoming more digital will necessarily vary between different organizations: every company is unique and will have a different starting point. However, we believe that the Digital Business Continuum approach can be successfully applied to any organization operating in any sector.
Based on the Digital Business Continuum framework, we have developed an assessment tool that can help organizations assess current ways of working against the Digital Business Continuum, and enable them to identify what concrete actions they need to take in order to thrive amidst disruption.