The Go Digital Energy team had the chance to ask Bojan Dimitrijevic, Digital Transformation Strategy Manager and Dalibor Lazarevic, Chief Data Officer at NIS Novi Sad, about their opinions on key components of a successful digital transformation strategy at the Go Digital Energy Summit in Amsterdam (2024).

Source: Go Digital Energy

What elements are essential for a digital transformation?

• Technology is essential for change, especially in energy companies.
• Sentimental value in products is needed to engage audiences.
• A digital transformation project requires clear boundaries, rules, and strategy.
• This strategy should align with the overall business strategy and focus on human and business-centric elements.
• Understanding business goals and needs is crucial for planning effective projects.
• The development team must connect these needs to potential business value.
• A dedicated team should work collaboratively to integrate business perspectives into projects.

Technology has been a focal point due to the current environment where many companies, especially energy companies, are striving for change. As mentioned in a recent presentation, technology is a glittering lure, making it sometimes hard to gauge the level of engagement from the audience, clients, or users. What is needed is a sentimental value in the product being offered. For example, a digital transformation project requires clear boundaries, rules, and a defined strategy.

This strategy should be intertwined with the overarching business strategy. It must work on the sentiment of the business, creating connections between digital transformation, real value, the business case, people, and everything surrounding it. There is no definitive answer, as it depends on the scale, business size, needs, and challenges. However, it must have a human-centric and business-centric element to be successful.

First and foremost, it is crucial to start by understanding the business goals. When planning a project that will bring real effects, it is necessary to understand the business needs and origins. The development team also needs to grasp this connection to the potential business value. Then, these elements should be decomposed into digital maturity, technology maturity, etc. For this planning phase, a dedicated team should work collaboratively, understanding the business perspective and applying those needs into real projects.