7 essential survey questions to guide your digital transformation

Natural to any transformation is a pursuit of normalisation. As digital solutions dominate our modern landscape, knowing how to transition into this current expectation is challenging for any brand, business, or organisation.

As they say, “the start is the hardest part”. And with 70% of companies agreeing that the top priority remains simplifying workflows and manual processes, the need to digitise has never been greater.

But comprehending where to begin your digital transformation journey can appear more of a daunting process than an exciting prospect for business owners.

So, to make things easier for you, we have written an official digital transformation audit to take you through the process step by step with seven essential survey questions. 

7 digital transformation survey questions

Despite the current technological movement feeling like a recent phenomenon, there are already some crucial digital transformation considerations to address before we can begin a safe and smooth evolution.

1. What does digital transformation mean to your business?

Knowing where to start with digital transformation means understanding what it means to your business. After all, the implementation of new digital technology doesn’t always equal digital transformation.

Digital solutions must become synonymous with your organisation and business processes across internal and external communication and operations.

So, whether you’re a manufacturer with outdated technology or a business looking to enhance user experience and streamline customer communications, it first pays to see digital transformation as part of your brand DNA rather than some technological addition. 

Without the correct implementation of digital technology, your business not only risks a software or design issue. You risk having a problem that affects the core of your company.

2. What is your biggest challenge?

As a company on the pathway to transformation, we must understand your core challenges to inform our digital transformation strategy.

Whether you currently struggle with outdated technology and legacy databases or face employee resistance and a lack of digital literacy in leadership, knowing your core issues can help steer your digital transformation in the right direction.

This stage is where a little digital expertise is necessary. Hiring a digital transformation consultant to review your current situation is worth the investment when they can point you in the right direction.

For example, successful digital transformation is six times more likely with organisations that have an engaged Chief Digital Officer.

3. Where are you so far in the digital transformation process?

You understand digital transformation is essential, and in doing so, you may have made some steps to establish an initial strategy. But developing a foolproof plan is the next natural stage.

Here are a few pointers to add to your digital transformation audit when it comes to strategy development:

• Evaluate the market demands and your consumer/user needs.
• Invest in a data-driven approach to assess user/market insights and expectations.
• Set realistic KPIs that define the success of your digital transformation journey.
• Develop your digital architecture to establish your transformation objectives.

Now whatever form your digital product will take, know that proper planning is essential before beginning your transformation. A thorough strategy will reward your efforts with the correct vision, purpose, resources, expertise, tools, and personnel to achieve the ideal result.

4. Is everyone on board with your digital transformation?

Beyond a digital product as a piece of technology, digital transformation is about culture. So, if your business is going to move in the right digital direction, you need everyone on board with the plan, especially your top-level executives.

Organisation-wide collaboration is essential for the success of your digital transformation, with staff in collaborative workplaces over 50% more productive compared to independent workers.

Everyone in your business needs to understand the importance and necessity of the transition with clear and collective comprehension. This comprehension is earned and communicated with your overall vision.

5. What is the vision for your digital transformation?

Getting everyone to believe in digital transformation relies on a single and all-encompassing vision that encapsulates why your business is transforming in the first place. Beyond just a fancy slogan, this vision needs to be the driving force behind your success.

With this vision in mind, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is each team member of your transformation team clear on the vision of your transformation?
• Does your vision match your market and consumer demands and expectations?
• Do you have at least one person in your organisation reminding the team of your transformation vision?

Embedding your digital transformation vision helps your culture work towards the same goal and ease any concerns they may have when the launch is finally in place.

6. How are you going to implement your digital transformation?

With a strategy and vision in mind, now it's time to tackle the implementation side of your digital transformation. And the first thing to note is that your digital transformation implementation is ongoing.

As with any aspect of improvement, which is the essence of digital transformation, development remains continuous. You must stay agile to make amends and invest in a digital product that can handle future upgrades.

However, do not make the mistake of forgetting your initial vision and goals before being carried away by the next best feature. "Shiny product syndrome" and "feature creep" are examples of when a transformation journey can become delayed and stagnate through an over-willingness to improve.

On the other hand, countless companies get stuck with legacy technology they can’t improve or it’s too expensive to replace. At this stage, your digital product architecture is vital to guide your implementation with wireframes and a UX object model alongside your overall system for design.

If this last sentence sounded a bit “mumbo jumbo”, it might pay to hire a digital product agency to guide and support you with technicalities.  

7. How will you measure the progress/success of your digital transformation?

Without a reference point, there’s no clear indication if we’ve succeeded with our digital transformation or failed. So, we need the right tools to measure our progress as we implement and launch our transformation.

This process of evaluation must run alongside the implementation. Identifying whether you’re reaching the right results requires assessing the initial KPIs and digital transformation goals you already established during your strategy.

The tools you require depend on the digital transformation category your business falls into. For example, you may want a customer churn rate to identify if your SaaS platform exceeds expectations or a product/feature adoption to see how fast your users move from trialists to paying customers. 

Whatever your bracket, we suggest combining multiple metrics to ensure you gain an accurate measure of your digital transformation performance.

Ready to begin your digital transformation journey?

Here at Stoked, we’re a professional digital product agency with specialist experience delivering seamless digital transformations. 

In the complex realm of software and technology, we know how to bring the ideal digital solutions to your business with simplicity and style while impacting your industry with high-value business results. 

So, if you’d like more guidance to make your digital transformation a comfortable success, connect with us today.