Your Business Is Too Complex to Be Digital
Abstract
Business leaders are starting to rethink their strategies to take advantage of digital technologies. An inspired digital strategy, however, is barely enough to get started. For most established companies, it is more likely that operational deficiencies, rather than lack of strategic thinking, will stymie their ability to compete digitally. Operational deficiencies result from layers of variability—years of new processes built next to (and on top of) legacy systems and ways of working—and will not be easily resolved. This kind of non-value-adding variability has made many companies too complex to deliver digital solutions. To compete digitally, business leaders must attack that complexity.
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About the Author
Jeanne W. Ross, Principal Research Scientist, MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research (CISR)
MIT CENTER FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH (CISR)
Founded in 1974 and grounded in the MIT tradition of rigorous field-based research, MIT CISR helps executives meet the challenge of leading dynamic, global, and information-intensive organizations. Through research, teaching, and events, the center stimulates interaction among scholars, students, and practitioners. More than seventy-five firms sponsor our work and participate in our consortium.