Managing your digital journey

We are in the middle of a digital revolution.

Global investment in architecture engineering and construction tech has risen sharply in recent years, with McKinsey reporting an 85% increase in investment between 2020-2022 compared to the previous three years.

McKinsey ‘From start-up to scale-up: Accelerating growth in construction technology’ May 2023

This has led to a subsequent explosion in available tools and solutions, from improvements to well-known tools such Oracle to newer solutions such as nPlan.

And as technologies such as AI proliferate and begin to mature, we can expect to see even more program management solutions hit the market, aimed at helping us complete tasks faster, more predictably and to a higher standard. The functionality of these solutions will vary, either overlapping or complementing each other – and using the best combinations of these tools will become increasingly important.

So, how can organizations keep track of technology options, and understand the best combinations of these technologies for program management?

We have often seen organizations take a very ad-hoc approach to this challenge, relying on enthusiastic individuals to drive adoption, rather than a digital strategy. But this can cause a whole host of challenges, from siloed procurement of multiple tools that all do the same things to duplication of effort and low rates of adoption. And a solution that works for one team might not be a great fit for the rest of the business.

Ultimately, to realize the full value of the new digital technologies in the delivery of programs and projects, organizations need to ensure they have a clear digital strategy that can help them identify the areas where digital technology can add value, select the best tools for the job, and ensure they are using these new tools in the most effective way possible.

Successful application of this approach can yield impressive results. For example, we discovered that by connecting our Common Data Environments (CDEs) with our schedule, cost and risk systems, we can generate authoritative dashboards and reports incredibly quickly – providing both insight and foresight. This not only saves us time in production of reports but also in assurance of data, enabling us to identify risks and challenges much sooner and address them before they impact project performance. But securing these outcomes required careful research using our expertise in both program and data management, and perhaps most importantly, buy-in from all our people across the business – not just the digital enthusiasts.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good a new solution is if no-one wants to use it. And as an industry we are often reluctant to change the way we work. That’s why a growth mindset – with a focus on digital culture – is so important to successfully managing the transition.

Building a robust digital culture requires several key elements:

First is the creation of an innovative, creative atmosphere and a growth mindset. All team members need to feel encouraged to learn and actively propose improvements. This supports a digitally positive atmosphere, reducing potential opposition to change and empowering teams to suggest improvements and challenge inefficiencies.

The next element is governance. Governance is crucial to managing the deployment of digital strategy. It provides oversight for team-led initiatives; ensures teams have the support they need to implement initiatives; and can be used to provide visibility on smaller technology purchases and tools and widgets individuals might create, so that resources can be allocated appropriately, and benefits shared across the whole business.

The last key element is positive feedback. By measuring and celebrating successes (and sharing lessons learnt across the business) we build an engine for further innovation, supporting and reinforcing the digital mindset.

This process also needs to be visibly supported and led from beginning to end by key leadership within any organization.

Digital innovation has the potential to transform the program management industry, offering us increased project visibility, more predictable outcomes, and improved risk management. And with such significant benefits on offer, we can’t leave our digital journey to chance.

If you’d like more information on managing your project and program management digital journey, please reach out to our team.