There is no longer room for doubts. Even the most skeptical put the discussion aside. It is entering a completely revolutionary, disruptive phase that will transform companies, business models and entire industries in the coming years.

Currently, no executive in a leadership position argues against the phenomenon and, on the contrary, most are preparing their company to face the forced process of digital transformation. However, very few companies are in a favorable position to meet the challenge. Many of them did not even develop an innovation strategy to adapt to this technological revolution, and among those that did, only about 10% were successful.

According to a survey conducted by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services and Red Hat, almost all businessmen from more than 700 different companies recognize the need to take action and adapt their business strategies to this new era. Still, just 13% of respondents found their digital transformation efforts to be "very effective." The positive results indicate that 85% of the business leaders who participated in the survey seemed to understand how to deal with this dynamic, following the suggestions of consulting teams and industry experts.

As demonstrated in the study, Harvard researchers and Red Hat specialists share a common understanding of the need to combine investment in technology with commitment from leadership teams, a process of cultural transformation, and a change in work methodologies. . The thesis of Harvard scientists and Red Hat technicians was endorsed by the more than 700 executives interviewed. More than half of respondents (55%) indicated that culture has represented a significant challenge in their organizations' digital transformation efforts, while 43% indicated the same in terms of processes, and less than a third cited technology as a considerable obstacle.

According to the study, the key to the success of any digital transformation initiative lies in the commitment of the management team and in the cultural change of the company. "A vast majority of organizations that fail fail because they are paying attention to 'digital' when it is 'transformation' that really matters. All the talk about technology undermines the painstaking effort to change the way companies work, ”the report explains. For researchers, the essence of transformation is linked to a change in culture and processes.

“A true transformation requires more than just new technologies. It requires a strategic vision and commitment on the part of the highest levels of the organization to rethink and reorganize the three main attributes of the modern company: its culture, its processes and its technology, “they point out in the Harvard study. In addition, they add, “Any effective business leader will tell you that introducing new technology is the easiest part; it is changes in culture and processes that can thwart the progress of transformation.

For this reason, those who openly recognized that they are being successful in digital transformation projects, explained that they have been able to create open teams, with more collaborative attitudes and transparent behaviors. In these companies, cultural change, technology investment and open leadership are combining optimally.