This presentation was delivered during an NCVO webinar on digital transformation, presented by Julie Dodd. The webinar took place on 20 August 2015.
More information: http://knowhownonprofit.org/organisation/orgdev/digital-transformation
3. ABOUT THE WEBINAR
• 30 minute presentation
- Insights from The New Reality research study
- 7 tips on digital transformation for your organisation
• 15 minute Q & A
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• Feedback survey
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5. A research study based on 54 interviews with executives
from non-profit and commercial organisations, digital tech
experts and commentators in this field
32. Small, iterative projects - not an
expensive big bang. Plan it, build it,
launch it and learn from it in less
than a year"
Ed Humphrey, Director of Digital, BFI
“
37. Create an umbrella
that protects people
and let them
experiment with trying
to break your
business”
Jonathan Kingsbury,
Head of Digital Economy
Knowledge Transfer Network
“
Credit: Unsplash
40. Take class-leading, independent platforms that can
talk to each other and plug them together.
It’s infinitely better than trying to find one, off the
shelf solution that will involve compromises.”
Richard Craig, CEO, Technology Trust
“
42. If there was one thing
we could change - it
would be for leaders to
be braver and more
open to this change.”
Vicky Browning,
Director, CharityComms
“
LEADERSHIP
43. How confident are you that your
organisation will digitally transform
itself in the next 3 years?
I’m going to talk to you about what I’ve learnt about the ways digital tech can help you achieve your goals
And why that will be the single most important difference that you can make in your organisation over the next 5 years
These are just some of the organisations who have contributed to TNR
For those of you less familiar with the study – TNR is a qualitative research study based on interviews with – as it says – 54 execs, digital champs, tech experts from inside and outside the sector
So what is TNR all about?
The study is very intentionally called TNR rather than something about future we’re heading towards.
Because things have already changed. The Internet revolution has already happened - the way we shop, bank, listen, watch, organise, communicate
All those things are different now, and to significant extent degree the non-profit sector has changed with them.
But the landscape is changing again
Thanks to the increased mobility of services and how completely hooked on these things we are
People’s behaviour has changed
I’m sure many of you will be familiar with the scenario in this top picture where small kids touch the telly and then look at you like “why is this broken”
Some assume that this change is a generational thing – that Gen Y or The Millenials, or Gen Z – will be the pioneers of this new era
But actually this isn’t just about the young folk who were born on the web. The NR we live in has changed for almost all generations
The third image is of a 3D printer
And that represents the fact that the technology has finally caught up with our aspirations
There’s a new wealth of ways that we can use tech that goes beyond the screens in our pockets and on our desks [Jo anecdote]
What does this mean?
That might sound like ridiculous hyperbole – but I don’t think it is
And I’m going to show you a few things now to hopefully convince you that this NR we’re in is that dramatic a shift
We are living in this New Reality – but in the non-profit sector – are we really making the most of it?
Now I’m going to hand over to 2 of the New reality’s contributors. I asked Kay & Matt to speak because in their interviews they both painted a picture of how things could be different
Now this is the BBC’s Whatsapp Ebola service.
They launched it at the height of the Ebola crisis to help tackle the very serious issue
There was stigma
The disease was spreading because people didn’t understand how the disease was contracted
The service used Whatsapp messenger to give text advice in Eng/French, audio clips and infographics
They didn’t build a whole new thing – they used a piece of technology that existed and would get them the biggest reach possible.
NEXT
Closer to home, and in fact becoming common practice globally
Crowdfunding platforms aren’t new. Things like Kickstarter have been helping people get funding to make and launch products for a while now.
BUT Charities beware – you are starting to be cut out of the loop
The example on screen is Indiegogos page on Medical fundraisers
These are people who are crowdfunding personal healthcare – for themselves, for their kids, and their family members
They’re getting cancer treatment, surgery, branded drugs they can’t afford. And they’re not asking a charity to do it for them.
Wearables and sensor-based technology deserve a mention – they’re getting smarter and more useful all the time
This is Quell – a new wearable device that tackles chronic pain – it’s been through all sorts of clinical trials and it works.
Pain relief without drugs or side-effects
And coming back to 3D printing
These guys are wearing 3D printed prosthetics because they got they limbs blown off in conflict in Sudan
30 million people worldwide who need prosthetics – often in war torn countries – but many are forced to do without due to a lack of skilled technicians to make them.
There’s a guy called Tony Canning from Northern Ireland - who went to Syria to do a similar project to this one. He can produce a pretty high spec, prosthetic, moulded to the individual within 36 hours
Even more astounding is the cost - "medical prosthetics are £20,000 but his team produce them at a cost of around £33
Google has pledged millions to help these projects
This is what’s happening now. We’re really not far off a world where in emergencies – say if natural disasters happen we won’t have to ship over supplies at great expense. People will be able to 3D print the supplies locally – and if it’s relaly remote or access is blocked – we can drone lift the supplies in
I don’t know about you but some of this stuff gives me goosebumps. And it’s not because they’re flashy new gadgets – I’m not an early adopter! It’s the massive potential for good that this stuff can do. The things I’ve showed you are all in the healthcare field – but the same is happening in education, in political systems, in disaster relief
And all that’s been done in this field to date – is just a teensy-weensy toe in the ocean of how digital tech will deliver real impact at scale for – and importantly with – the people who need it.
What’s notable about these examples – all of which were given in interviews – is how few of them come from established non-proifts. Just the Macmillan one. The others are from little start-ups, social enterprises, and sometimes big commercial companies. So why are these companies out there helping people – isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?
NEXT
We are living in this New Reality – but in the non-profit sector – are we really making the most of it?
So those are the four aspects of digital transformation
That will lead us to success in this New reality
If I can I finish on a final plea – one area that we haven’t touched on – but was shouted loudly across interviews
The need for sector leadership to be bold – and seize this opportunity
Across the NR’s interviews - contributors didn’t hold back from tackling the big stuff. This DT process is not just a way to stay relevant and upto date –
it is an opportunity to really focus back on the central mission of our organisations
Quite a number of people raised the question: if we were setting up now - would we have structured ourselves as we are? Would we be doing the things we’re doing now in the way we’re doing them?
Perhaps the answer is “yes”. But some suggested that maybe if we’d had digital tech back then – would our organisations look quite different?
We might be able to be more effiicient and saving ourselves some money,
We might help our staff to be more productive
Or we might actually generate to some new ideas that leapfrog us up to a whole new level of impact for the people who need us.
Don’t start with the technology, think about the social value you’re trying to deliver and then how technology might help you solve key challenges you face
Now It’s easy to say “go back to square one” and tear it all up - but in practice that’s tough. So let’s start with a more immediate take out from this?
What was happening before was that sector organisations kept digital strategies separate from the central mission
And that just reinforced a perception that digital is just another department - with its own goals, rather than an enabler for all.
It sounds like the way you’re approaching your new corporate strategy has got this spot on -
In looking at how you can weave technology throughout - for every department, and for all audience groups.
That might sound totally counter-intuitive in a presentation about digital transformation - However increasingly this separation from the central mission reinforces a perception that digital is just another department with its own goals, rather than an enabler for all. Instead we need central organisational strategies that weave technology throughout everything - for every department, and for all audience groups.
That might sound totally counter-intuitive in a presentation about digital transformation - However increasingly this separation from the central mission reinforces a perception that digital is just another department with its own goals, rather than an enabler for all. Instead we need central organisational strategies that weave technology throughout everything - for every department, and for all audience groups.
Fundamentally the way we look at digital tech has go change. This is the time to question how it can affect everything we do.
Back in the days when electricity was new organisations used to have ‘Electricity directors’
Earlier on I already showed some examples of what the world can look like when we tie all of our different tech skills together for common good.
I want to emphasize this point because there’s a real risk that we could limit our impact by not looking broadly enough
I was at a digital transformation conference last week – it was great, lots of good stuff – but it was all web stuff
Doing things like improving email campaign successes, and getting better websites is still important and we’ve still got room to get better
but it’s not enough.
It’s limited - by screens the web is tied to - even with the increased mobility from these things - and lack of physicality. “it can’t replace real front line services…”
If we look further than screen-based web alone – I think it can
Let me give you an example of what I mean…
This is a campaign badge.
Now it doesn’t have a slogan on it. But it’s sending a powerful message
This is a air pollution campaign badge designed by a little design company called Kin based in London
This badge has 3 techy bits to it: 1) it has an air pollution sensor, 2) it has GPS 3) It’s connected to twitter
3 separate bits of tech brought together and what do they do?
When the wearer goes into an area with over high pollution levels – the badge sends a tweet to the local MP and councillors for that area
In digital advocacy - We’ve been asking the question ‘what lies beyond Clicktivism’ for a while now? Maybe it’s stuff like this – stuff that harnesses the power of our supporters out in the world, and uses tech to make a more useful, more creative and richer experience
Technology used to be painful. Embroiled in -
The people who say it isn’t possible are generally wrong these days.
It’s unsurprising in a changing landscape that there’s a gap between the skills we’ve got – and some new ones we need.
The commercial sector is going through the exact same issue.
What are we talking about?
We need to get hold of more of these people – but they’re very in demand.
So we need to think different about how to get people we need – it might be partnering with a data grad scheme. Might be seconding people in from companies.
Or seconding out some of your staff who you want to upskill.
It’s called the lean agile model – or the lean start up model – or frankly the get it done quickly and still make it good - model is what it should be called
it’s based on the Agile that many of you will have heard of – but it’s got less rules, and it’s more focused on what users need.
Essentially it involves picking one problem or user need – starting with what small thing you could do to meet that need,
prototyping it quickly, trialing it with real people, finding out what worked or didn’t
and then iterating it to make it better
It’s what Matt was talking about before – And Futurlearn are a huge success story – at least in part because they operate in this way
There’s an excellent case study in the online report – from Shelter who have been using this process
To tackle the chronic supply/demand issue they have with their helpline – a problem that I know many organisations have.
I won’t tell you the full story now. But it’s worth me skipping to the end of it I think
Traditionally, in most charities, this sort of challenge would have been the subject of a multiple month (if not multiple year) project process at great expense and significant risk.
The new Shelter prototype has gone from kick off to launch in less than 2 months.
Do that 10 times and voila – you’ve reinvented a whole service, or significant parts of your supporter journey, or one of your massive legacy internal systems.
Moving away from the old methods of big requirements gathering exercises, and risk logs as long as your arm – has to happen. Those old processes –did work, I used them, a lot! –
but the way your audience behaves changes every year now – so if you spend more than a year building something based on requirements or research you did back then
it may not even be the same need.
Or even more likely – in the meantime some upstart came and built the thing anyway
In short what the many contributors who advised a start-small approach were say was - Don’t try to boil the ocean.
This point is about the need to do some experimenting
If you’re not trying to disrupt what you do then I guarantee someone else is.
Innovation work does happen in the sector – of course it does. Innovation teams…
But there aren’t many organisations – who when asked had a structured process around this
This is about chasing an impossible Willy Wonka style vision
It’s about finding the kind of experimentation which will help us to find better ways of doing things to achieve better outcomes
Contributors identified 3 models for experimentation that have all been shown to work.
The Shelter example is what we would call a lab approach – getting a cross-discipline group of people together, in a space that isn’t the normal office set up and day-to-day work. And focus on creatively solving one, problem. You can set up labs in-house or do them off-site. Both work. But you need to give them enough money and enough space to have a proper run at it.
What Matt was talking about earlier was #3 - an internal/external start up. And one that’s been hugely successful
What’s interesting is that both of those example are using the same basic lean methodology – for different purposes at different scales.
These are described in depth in the online report
There is now a tool out there for everything.
And most of them have been designed first and foremost to be user friendly – which already gives them a leg up over some of the beasts I mentioned before
What’s more is that they’ve been designed to work together – a sort of build your own eco systems
The services out there – and these are just a tiny selection – can be bolted together and shaped to do whatever you need them to do
And yes they’re secure
And yes they’re cost effective – a lot more so than traditional system most of the time
They won’t be right for everyone - but if you’re a small-medium size organisation. Don’t buy the big beast. Get it made from these kinds of things – and you’ll be glad you did.
So those are the four aspects of digital transformation
That will lead us to success in this New reality
If I can I finish on a final plea – one area that we haven’t touched on – but was shouted loudly across interviews
The need for sector leadership to be bold – and seize this opportunity
This change process is everyone’s business and everyone’s responsibility
But without strong, pioneering leadership we might get left behind
That means that this change has to be fully embraced and championed from the top down – starting with teams like this and your trustees
It’s only through empowering your organisations to go further on this journey that you’ll realise the the full potential for using digital-driven services to help more children and families
Focus. Sacrifice one thing that you’re doing to make more room for this process change. Find renewed vigour and new angles for pushing this transformation forward
If we want to reach further and deliver more social impact – what other big options have we got? This is the only game changer – and I hope this presentation has given you some food for thought.