Digital maturity is defined as the measurement of an organization’s ability to generate value through digital aspects. It is among the key criteria that can predict success of a firm in launching their digital transformation. Those businesses which have a higher level of digital maturity come with a competitive advantage, and a range of performance indicators. These include product quality, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth. Businesses at a lower hierarchy of digital maturity may struggle to achieve 100% benefits of digitalization.
Digital maturity assessment
Digital maturity assessment is a way for the organizations to assess where they’re on the ladder of maturity. This helps them in formulating the strategy for achieving higher digital maturity. Considering the importance of digitalization in today’s times, a lot of organizations have come up with their own digital maturity assessment tools. There isn't any tool that is universally accepted for assessment of digital maturity. Most tools are in fact, available in a form of questionnaire that cover key aspects of digital transformation, such as customers and partners, business strategy, technology, people and culture, and operations and processes.
Boston Consulting Group, and Google came up with a model to define the levels of digital maturity. This model is still not a uniform code, but gives a clear outline of the stages. According to that model, four levels of digital maturity are- Nascent, Emerging, Connected, and Multi-Moment.
Nascent or the Beginner’s Stage
At this stage, the brand is still at the static brochure website level, or even below that. There aren’t any digital channels that are explored, and the brands are not yet aware what mobile and web applications can do for their business. There’s limited ability to broadcast a message or content across multiple channels. The activities which may support the concept of digitalization may be accidental, and not strategic. As a result, their customers would find what they need at other places. Competitive disruption arises at this stage.
Emerging or the Intentional Emergence Stage
At this stage, the brands have learnt about DX or digital experience, and are performing activities that may support digital transformation. The brands may start embracing digitalization gradually. Some customer experience processes are making room into the organization, but there’s still no overarching vision or a digital experience strategy in sight. The sales and marketing teams are not yet integrated with operations at a wider level. There is still a way to go for data based intelligence, and personalization of business.
Connected or the Advanced Integration Stage
The business at this stage starts integrating those activities which support DX. The strategic intent comes into forefront now. The digital experience initiatives are streamlined and well-coordinated. The digital roadmap has come into existence, and the brands start fending off competitive disruptions. The business starts transforming digitally, and all digital channels are developed and deployed. There’s holistic omnichannel experience, and advanced data analysis during this stage. Business starts adopting a client or customer centric approach.
Multi-Moment or The Expert Optimized Stage
At this stage, the organizations become the trend setters of digitalization. All business activities are aligned with digital experience, and the decisions are strategically taken. Automation, streamlining, and coordination become a part of digital strategy. The businesses have explored the full potential of digital evolution, and started seeing the effects of delivering customer-centric experiences. These brands start moving in the digital continuum and all their channels are synchronized. The brands now start using big data, AI, machine learning, predictive behaviours and more to anticipate customer demands, and align their deliverables accordingly.
Most businesses take time to reach the expert optimized stage. It is essential for the businesses to find out where they are positioned in the four-stage digital journey. The answer to this can lead to the checklist for answering five questions to implement digital experience platform strategy.
