Ready for digital transformation: Tasks of a Transformation Manager
Digitization, Industry 4.0 and demographic change are just some of the factors that continue to change markets and competitive conditions for companies all over the world. This results in increasingly complex market environments. That is why companies have to respond by implementing change more profoundly and faster than before. Consequently, innovation and transformation have become key success criteria for companies. This means that employees have to question existing business models, identify optimization potentials and quickly implement new structures at several company levels in order to adapt to market conditions. Trained Transformation Managers handle these tasks.
However, employees often lack the “transformation specific knowledge” that is required for this position and the tasks that come with it. They do recognize the urgency of change but have difficulties issuing the required actions and changes. A high level of complexity, different expectations or inconsistencies in the way processes are organized are common obstacles. In addition to this, there is often no well-documented change management for processes, structures and the overall company behavior. If this documentation and evaluation basis is missing, success and failures of change processes cannot be measured.
As a result, there is a non-transparent number of new and old business models co-existing as well as an overall process management that may hinder the company in its speed and intensity to implement change. Consequently, measures must be taken to train and teach employees to meet the challenges ahead with confidence and the necessary preparation. They need to be able to create transparency regarding the need for transformation within the company. To help identify transformation plans such as digitization initiatives and realize and implement changes successfully, we have designed a further education course in cooperation with the RWTH Aachen International Academy. Leading industrial companies were also part of the development of the course, which is called “Business Transformation Manager”.
The benefit of having a “Business Transformation Manager” on board
You probably wonder why you should have a specially trained Business Transformation Manager in your company. Why should you or one of your employees take part in the certified course? The program developed by the RWTH International Academy and the FIR e. V. provides the knowledge and tools that are required to change companies sustainably. The course introduces participants to a unique framework for the successful realization of transformation projects.
This framework, called the “Business Transformation Canvas”, helps Transformation Managers to consider all relevant aspects of change processes. In addition to this, it makes it easier to recognize the most important company change processes and to react to the growing customer requirements. As a result, the canvas focuses on the topics communication, change management, design thinking and strategy. Course participants will also learn to recognize overall change potential based on IT-structures and available data and implement and realize necessary changes quickly.
Speakers and trainers
All of the course speakers have a university or industry background. Therefore, they create a unique and valuable combination of science and research experts as well as true practice. A total of 16 referees will present various workshops and key notes over the course duration of six days. Based on the course contents, participants will learn the essentials of design-thinking, strategies and roadmap development, leadership and success factors. They will also be introduced to interesting practice examples and see how these successful examples have handled their transformation changes and how design, disruption, communication and qualification played a part in it.
Participants receive a certificate stating their participation in the course. The certificate is handed out to the participants after completion of all six days of the course and after passing the exam.
Course topics:
- How do I recognise the need for a digital transformation?
- What are the relevant factors of digital transformation and how can they effect the company?
- How do I define a clear transformation strategy?
- How do I make specific plans for the implementation and execution of the strategy?
- How can I include employees as well as the entire company in the transformation?
- Which guidelines or theory models can I use to receive support from my transformation plan?
The next available course is scheduled for fall 2019 and includes two modules: