Part of the Bright Sparks series, written by Adam Humphreys, Service Architect
We talk about modernisation as if it’s a race — a finish line you can cross and then move on.
It isn’t.
It’s a culture. A way of behaving that permeates all corners of the organization that undramatically but efficiently drives progress with those continual one percent gains that all add up. Real modernisation isn’t about being seen to keep up. It’s about creating an environment to succeed.
The temptation to turn modernization into a race, with a “Big Project” that can be started and finished, is a dangerous one. Sure, it has the allure of heroism, where with one big push, it’ll all be transformed and there won’t be the need to do it again for a while. But the reality is a game of Whack-a-Mole, as an unpredicted outcome of the Big Project highlights deficiencies elsewhere, that now needs another Big Project. This develops a dangerous cycle, where the organization becomes internally focused, assigning an unfair share of its resources to internal changes, rather than its customers’ experiences.
There are also no guarantees that “Big Project” will even deliver. How many times have we seen big projects fail to achieve all that was promised? Those Big Projects meet inertia and competing priorities for limited resources, which turn benefits realization into an exercise in compromise and optimism, rather than reality.
Sometimes the hardest, most valuable act of leadership is to stop and ask the difficult or dull questions:
There’s comfort in a big gesture; it feels like progress. But speed isn’t the same as momentum.
The technology side of change is rarely the issue. I have a very simple test for things, it’s the “so what?” question. That dashboard, that report, that feature, that deliverable, “so what?” What does it provide that delivers a sustained improvement over how things are currently done?
For example, a new order entry feature that templates and standardises data entry and removes manual entry of order details. Sounds a bit boring? Well, it’s a story that’s not going to win a Booker Prize! But the “so what?” test is passed, as the rest of the order to cash process now consistently has the correct data flowing through it, meaning order processing, supplier back-off orders, and customer invoicing no longer require reworks, thereby improving team productivity, staff morale, and customer satisfaction. It’s not as overt as a change to the look and feel of an applications GUI (Graphical User Interface), but the positive effects will be appreciated for far longer.
That’s where most attempts at modernisation fall short. They stop at the surface: better dashboards, cleaner reports, smoother interfaces. But underneath, business activity is still being done in the same way, with the same flawed and immature processes.
The real work is alignment — making sure technology supports organizational activity, and through that creating a frictionless environment in which customers want and choose you to work with.
Most organisations I see already have more capability than they use. Technology with transformative features that are unused because of the limitations of another system it interacts with, staff with fantastic experience that are limited to the urgent, rather than the strategic, and processes with a mismatch of maturity to interoperate effectively.
It’s not difficult to find easy targets. The challenge – and the greatest rewards – come from more fundamental changes.
Modernisation is continual when there’s investment in a culture of change. Continual improvement becomes a habit and is embedded in every layer of the organization, with every person having clear line of sight between their contribution and the effect on the organization and its customers.
Imagine every employee able to see a direct connection between their work and how it affects customer experiences and the success of the organisation. Those employees feel valued and when combined with empowerment, motivated to explore how to tap into those latent capabilities to improve and modernize their ways of working.
This is how maturity builds – where are we now, where do we want to be, make the change, embed the change. Where are we now, where do we want to be, and so on. It’s a cyclical, continual journey without end.
No drama, just small gains that add up to big things. That’s the point.
Sounds easy, right? Create an environment to succeed, build a momentum, make sure technology supports the organisational activity, and motivate staff to continually seek the small gains that add up. But there’s a missing, and vital piece; leadership.
Leadership creates the vision, the mission and the top level objectives against which a culture can be developed, and demonstrating the values that encourage collaborative and innovative thinking. This isn’t a list of values, but regular, honest engagement with staff, and ways of working that embed change and continual improvement as a habit.
The goal isn’t to be the fastest adopter or the most digital-looking company in the room. It’s to be stable, capable, and confident enough to keep adapting long after the headlines move on. When you modernise like you mean it, you move at a pace you can sustain. You keep the core steady and let improvement become part of the everyday rhythm.
That’s when modernisation stops being a change — and starts becoming culture.
With mastery in service portfolio design and a love for change, Adam is ready to help guide your next step.
Spark the conversation with Adam
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Service Architect
Adam is responsible for shaping and managing the services product portfolio, alongside designing presales service solutions that meet customer needs.
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