Understanding and Using Data in Transformation Projects

When we think about digital transformation strategy, the adage springs to mind: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink". Getting everyone on the same page and invested in both processes and outcomes is no small task. In essence, you need to do a lot of persuading. And how do you get your teams to do that? The solution lies in data - using it to tell the story, creating a roadmap and arguing your case for whoever needs to hear it. 

These considerations were explored by a standout panel at Digital Garage's recent industry forum. We invited experienced digital transformation leaders to share their insights on using data effectively to shape and drive transformation strategy. Here are the highlights from the session, hosted by our director Jamie Blackwell. 

The Map is the Territory 

Jamie kicked off the discussion by asking our panellists how they use data-based insights to do the groundwork in digital transformation projects. They agreed on these core principles: you need a clear roadmap, compelling reasons for change, and the data to keep you on track. 

David emphasised the importance of benchmarking. You're always going from X to Y, he said, so start by making Y exciting and tangible. The key is to ensure everyone understands the destination first, and then use data to measure the current state, track progress, and celebrate milestones along the way. Data, he stressed, doesn't lie - it keeps transformation efforts accountable and on course. 

Karlene added that data alone isn't enough; it needs to be contextualised. Insights should be telling you a story, she said. Rather than making decisions based on a single data point, organisations need to gather multiple sources, talk to people, and understand the bigger picture. "Take people on the journey, please!"

Tony took a step back to remind everyone of the bigger picture. Before anything begins, leaders must understand the types of questions they're trying to answer with data. This understanding comes from first clarifying the core goal of the transformation project. 

Whether the goal is revenue growth, operational efficiency, or mitigating risk, the 'why' should shape data analysis and decision-making, he said. Are bottlenecks slowing things down? Are customer experiences suffering? These are the types of questions data should answer to drive meaningful change. 

Building on this, Kylie said using a transformation scorecard helps give everyone a "golden thread" of clarity from strategy to execution. "Once you're clear on the why, you're clear on the metrics. It helps the rest of the organisation prioritise what's important and filter through that noise. The measurements should cascade from the top, roll down, and roll back up again," she said. 

On Change Management: 'BAU is Dead'

No discussion about transformation is complete without addressing the challenge of change management. How do tech leaders use data to deal with pushback? How do they present their case to manage the change? The key is to show, don't just tell. That involves tailoring communication to the audience and being practiced in the art of stakeholder management. 

Resistance, after all, is normal, said Karlene. Selling the benefits of the change is essential for overcoming pushback. When communicating with those in an organisation who aren't early adopters, it also helps to tone down the techie language and dial up the empathy. "Using data in a simplified way is an easy way to do that."

David agreed that tech leaders need to be empathetic to people who are finding the change difficult. To add more "muscle" to their messaging, leaders must convey that the pain is worth the gain, and to do that, "you have to describe the gain with a lot of clarity". 

Ultimately, transformation never stops - so we may as well get used to it. As Kylie put it, "There will be some big hurdles that you go through and some big deliverables, but it's always 'on'."

While major transformations are in play for many organisations, said Kylie, there's also a stream of innovation-driven projects running in tandem, as they look at ways to adopt AI and other technologies. With new tech coming down the pipeline so quickly, the challenge for organisations is to manage that second transformation stream, which is critical for building new capabilities. After all, "if we look around town, everyone's got all these amazing platforms, but the Ferraris are in the garage. They've got them, but no one really knows how to use them to their full potential," Kylie added. 

Tony rounded off these points with a succinct piece of personal wisdom: "I have a saying that BAU is dead. It doesn't exist anymore. That's our world. So that's what we've got to live with, and work on it."

Building Teams to Get It Done 

How do leaders use real time insights to guide their workforce planning and ensure they're putting the right people in the right place? Everyone agreed that skills and capabilities are the starting point. But there's more to workforce planning than determining which skills are needed for a project. 

It all starts with leadership. Kylie, who leads the Transformation Leaders Vantage program at Deloitte, is currently training around 20 top transformation leaders from major New Zealand companies. She outlined the five capabilities that make transformation leaders effective: "You need to be a strategist and a visionary. You absolutely need to be a change influencer. More and more so, you need to be a technologist...and an operator and controller."

An unsung talent strategy in digital transformations is speed to competency, Karlene said. As a program manager, she tracks how quickly individuals move from their current capability to where they should be in six or eight weeks, using (KPIs) to support them throughout the change. She noted that many companies overlook speed to competency, but it's crucial in large-scale programs for developing and embedding essential skills. 

David said he prioritises candidates based on real-world experience, not past job titles. It's more appropriate to appoint those who've experienced the growth journey firsthand, i.e. "someone that actually has done that growth journey from roughly where we are now, to where we want to be in 3 to 5 years". 

Making the Business Case 

How do digital transformation strategy pros make a winning case to their board? By doing their homework, following the money and creating a data-based story that is on point. 

Think Five Steps Ahead 
When presenting a business case for technology change, it's not enough to outline a solution, said Karlene. You also need to anticipate the questions and objections you'll face. 

"As a transformation manager, I'm always thinking five steps ahead," she said. Many business cases get stuck on the ideation stage, but ideation isn't enough for boards. Leaders need tangible evidence and a clear line of sight on how progress will be tracked. 

Be a Storyteller 
Data alone doesn't win board confidence, but how you present it does. Storytellers may not be great at crunching numbers, but they know how to hold an audience and hit the mark, said Tony. The key is framing the transformation in terms of business priorities: Top line, margin, expenses and articulating how value will be added. 

Show the Value Timeline 
Boards also want to know when they'll see a return on investment, Tony said. "If I'm giving you $10 million, tell me when that value will be delivered - in three months, six months, a year?" For a board audience, the financial ROI timeline is a key measurable benefit. 

Metrics or Bust 

What gauges do project leaders need on their dashboards? Financial metrics aren't the whole story. Strong benchmarking up front and early indicator metrics are vital for staying on track, David said. 

Early indicators provide a real-time pulse on whether a transformation is on track, said David. "Time-based and time-ratio metrics give you an early read on success or failure," he added. But beyond speed and cost, qualitative checks like customer satisfaction and NPS scores are critical, especially in cost-cutting initiatives. 

In short, you need a common, unchanging definition of every metric so you can clearly track progress, David added. That creates the structure necessary for data-driven digital transformation strategy. 

The Bird's Eye View 

Kylie said using a balanced scorecard helps track customer impact, financial performance, operational efficiency and people metrics. 

Tailoring metrics for different audiences is key (while avoiding Death by Dashboard) but you need the right data at the right level, Karlene added. A project team might need detailed progress tracking, while a board-level report should highlight strategic impact. 

Earned value is also a valuable real-time indicator of progress, said Tony. "It's a canary in the coal mine", he said, as it shows velocity, whether you're on track, and where you need to adjust. 

David stressed the need for clarity upfront. Transformation is complex, so spend time crystallising the end state with SMART goals first, he said. He also recommended a mix of hard data and real-world feedback. Triangulate the insights, look at the numbers, but also walk the shop floor and talk to employees. If the story doesn't match, dig deeper. 

Finally, dashboards should lead to meaningful action, not just be a reporting exercise. Dashboards are "a communication tool," Karlene noted. They show risks and highlight those red alerts that help leadership make decisions in real time. 

Final Thoughts 

Our panellists shared plenty of battle wisdom based on their frontline experiences. 

Beyond the key advice around getting buy-in and accounting for different audiences to tell the transformation story, speakers also mentioned the need for ongoing role clarity and accountability, along with testing key messages before a big announcement. Change won't always be good news, so it helps to test the waters with a small, trusted group first. 

Ultimately, real adoption happens through tangible goals, good metrics, and anticipating the real concerns people have about how transformation impacts their daily work. 

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