Introduction

Are you considering a digital project?  Digital transformation has been a buzz word in the sector for some time now, but what does it really mean? More importantly, what does it mean for your organisation and how should you go about it?

Why you should attend

At its heart, digital transformation means harnessing the benefits of technology not only to change the way you work, but to exploit the potential of data and automation to do new and different things, and to achieve more with the resources you have.  At least that is the theory – the reality in the membership sector is more often one of organisations struggling to implement a new CRM system or upgrade the website, with costs rocketing and the benefits sometimes seeming very far off.

Effective digital transformation isn’t just about buying IT.  It is firstly about understanding your organisation and the needs of your membership, knowing where you need to be and having a clear strategy to get there.  But even when you have this, and you’ve thought through the digital strategy you need to adopt – whether that be a new CRM or website, process automation or a membership app – how do you go about implementing it?

Technology-related projects are renowned for failure to deliver the desired results. By attending this Masterclass you minimise the risk of: Typical pitfalls inherent in any IT project; Signing up with the wrong solution for your organisation or the wrong supplier; A failed IT project (over half of IT projects have historically failed to achieve their objectives); Underestimating the budget or timescales required; Proceeding with an inappropriate contract; People-related problems around implementing new IT – failing to take the people with you (staff, members, prospects) and ending up with a solution nobody uses; Unrealistic expectations around what the outcome will deliver; Not getting the benefits from your investment; Relying too much on the supplier.

What you will learn

This practical workshop will take you through the approach to implementing effective digital change.  We start by thinking about the problem you are trying to solve – how much is about IT and how much is really about people, culture and process?  We look at the benefits (for the organisation, members and others) that you are trying to achieve and introduce a soft-systems approach for defining and agreeing the scope of your project.

We will take you through the practical steps in the implementation journey, from understanding how much it will cost and getting your ‘Board on board’ with a robust business case; we will look at how to approach procurement in order to get the right solution and supplier for your organisation; the resources you are likely to need; the impact the project will have on your organisation; governance and decision-making and how to plan and manage the change effectively; and most importantly, make sure you realise the benefits you need.

Who should attend?

  • Executive Heads of Associations considering a digital project
  • Directors and Senior Managers responsible for IT-enabled change

Programme

The session is a full day, starting with coffee and registration at 9am. The day will be split by lunch and finish at 5.30pm. There will be two breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

09:00 Registration & Refreshments
09:30 Welcome, Introductions and Outline for the Day
09:40 Why spend money on Digital Transformation or CRM

Exploring with participants in group discussion:

  • What does digital transformation mean for you?
  • What problem are you trying to solve?
  • How much is about IT – and how much is about culture and process?
10:30

Scoping the right Project – taking a Benefits-Based Approach
Introducing the benefits dependency analysis method. Working through a practical example from an attendee’s project:

  • Identifying drivers for change, objectives and benefits
  • What will success look like?
11:00 Break
11:15 Scoping the right Project – taking a Benefits-Based Approach (continued)

Continue working through a practical example:

  • Outcomes, business changes and IT changes needed
  • Solutions and options for scoping the project
12:15

Justifying the Investment – the Business Case

  • Do you need a business case?
  • What will you need to spend money on?
  • How much will it cost?
  • How long will it take?
  • The benefits – getting your Board/Council on board with the investment.
13:00 Lunch - Networking and informal discussion
14:00

Procuring new Systems

  • A procurement approach that will work for you and get the right suppliers engaged
  • Evaluating the options and risks – and making a decision
  • The importance of contracts
14:30

Governance and Decision-Making

  • The importance of effective governance
  • Models for project governance and putting them in place
14:45 Planning and Initiating the Project
  • Resources – putting the right team in place
  • Planning the work
15:15 Break
15:30

Managing the Change

  • Key areas to focus on
  • Governance, management and control
  • Taking the people with you
  • Managing the suppliers
  • Managing risks, issues and changes
  • Testing, testing and more testing
  • Implementation – how do we do change from the current to the new?
  • Realising the benefits
16:45 Review of the Day
17:00 Close

Delegate Fees

Earlyy-booker (up to 31 January): GBP 455.00
Price: GBP 555.00
Prices are subject to VAT at 20%

 

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