Digital transformation has become such a ubiquitous process – the normalised state of existence for a modern organisation rather than some kind of radical outlier – that the phrase, one might argue, is almost verging on being unhelpful.
Obviously, you’re doing a digital transformation. Everyone’s doing digital transformation.
A more productive line of inquiry, therefore, requires drilling down a little further; “what kind of digital transformation are you undergoing?” Some organisations rip everything out at the roots, stripping their IT bare and rebuilding. Others tinker, and tinker, and keep tinkering. Most fall somewhere in between, emphasising different virtues and goals depending on any number of factors. No two digital transformations are exactly the same. However, no matter what sort of digital transformation your organisation is undergoing, there are common threads that can guide it to success.
Digital transformation to support growth
“Some businesses want a rainmaker—a change agent who will shake things up, leave everything in a different state, and then exit so they can rebuild. I have a track record of delivering change, but I aim to do so without leaving a trail of disruption. I’m here for the long term,” explains Andy Harper, CIO at Begbies Traynor Group (BTG), a leading UK advisory firm with expertise in business recovery, advisory and corporate finance, valuations, asset sales and property consultancy. BTG operates more than 60 offices across the UK, and is continuing to grow and diversify its business through acquisitions, making a strong, stable IT strategy an essential part of both day-to-day operations and the company’s long-term goals.
When Harper arrived at BTG, he explains, the business wanted evolution, not revolution—no quick fixes, but steady, sustainable change. Starting by taking the opportunity “to address technical debt, build IT capabilities, and use this as a foundation for the business to better leverage technology,” Harper reflects that “it wasn’t about flashy technical breakthroughs; it was about good practice and asking, ‘How can IT really help the business?’ It’s more than just responding to requests—it’s about shaping the agenda and delivering real value.”
BTG’s IT journey
Three years later, BTG finds itself at an exciting crossroads in its own unique digital transformation journey. “Now that we’ve moved from addressing technical debt to driving business change, there’s a new challenge: How do we, as a professional services organisation, allocate enough time to participate in transformation while managing the day-to-day work?” asks Harper.
Striking this balance between transformation and the day-to-day challenges of “keeping the lights on” — implementing new technologies while shoring up existing IT infrastructure with cultural change management and good practice — is at the core of BTG’s ongoing digital transformation efforts. I sat down with Harper to learn more about executing a sustainable digital transformation focused on real outcomes, BTG’s journey so far, and where it’s going next.
