My Digital Strategy Generator

How the generator works

This generator helps to build a (proto) digital strategy that will enable your organisation to become a fully data-driven digital business. It presents the argument that in order to become a digital business your organisation itself must be treated as a single large information system. In a data-driven business the silos of departmental structures should be less important than the combination of focused skilled individuals working together with tightly scoped projects in order to achieve the overall goals of this strategy.

This generator is iterative. As you add new elements in each section these will become new options in the other relevant sections. If you are completing one section and the options you need are not available - just jump to the relevant section and add new elements. This will then automatically populate the appropriate drop-downs.

This generator saves your progress as you edit your strategy. The parts of the generator can be completed in any order - but the order suggested here is the most logical (You can return to any section when you have more details or have completed the other sections).

1. Strategic purpose Expand
First. Identify the timeframe for your strategy.

Describe your organisation's overall mission and purpose over the next five years.

2. People Expand

There are people internal and external to your organisation. They are equally important.

Describe your key buyer personas. Include details. When will you be engaging with each persona. Add a new entry for each different buyer persona

Create a priority list of the key skills that people internal to your organisation will require in five years time to achieve your strategy. Identify the extent to which these skills can already found in your organisation.

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3. Communications Expand

What channels for communication do you intend to use in five years time? Rank your channels in terms of their importance to your organisation in five years time. Is the channel currently being used? Identify the primary form of communication employed with each channel. Identify the skills needed to use this form of the communication and who the target recipient (persona) will be. Identify the primary dataset and any software that will need to be utilised by each channel.

This is the People ⇒ Communications link.

This is the Data ⇒ Communications link.

This is the Software ⇒ Communications link.

This is the Communications ⇒ People link.

4. Data Expand

In priority order, with a level of detail, what will be the most important sets of data for your organisation in five years time. Identify the availability of this data. Identify who is primary consumer of each dataset.

This is the Data ⇒ People link.

This is the People ⇒ Data link.

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5. Software Expand

Identify the types (not vendors or products) of software that your organisation expects to require in the next five years. Identify the status of these types of software currently.

This is the People (Skills) ⇒ Software link.

6. Hardware Expand

Identify the hardware that your organisation will require in the next five years. Identify the status of this hardware currently within your organisation.

7. Procedures/Process Expand

Procedures and processes are pivotal to making your system work. The processes and procedures link together all other aspects of the system and emphasise the importance of an organisation's need for documentation, transparency and sharing.

Identify the combination of people, data, communications, hardware and software

This is the Process ⇒ People (Persona) link.

This is the Data ⇒ Process link.

This is the People (Skills) ⇒ Process link.

This is the Communications ⇒ Process link.

This is the Hardware ⇒ Process link.

This is the Software ⇒ Process link.

8. Quick Wins and New Products Expand

By identifying already available resources in your organisation you may also be able to identify quick wins for your digital strategy. This section lets you work through some potential candidates