Digital transformation means different things to different people but is essentially a representation of how companies can add innovation using technology. For some it means using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the experience for customers, whilst for others it’s all about using analytics software and cloud technology in order to optimise project processes.
There has been significant interest in the topic of digital transformation in the last couple of years. In fact, Google trends data for certain groups indicate that within the UK there has been a steady increase of people looking for information on digital transformation over the course of the last decade.
Whilst there might be a growing level of enthusiasm, there is also a significant amount of uncertainty, particularly when it comes to small businesses. The implementation of GDPR legislation means businesses now need to map their data flow, assess their risks from data processing activities and identify any controls that must be implemented. Innovation around data transformation, therefore, carries bigger risks that sensitive data could become lost or stolen. The fines for non-compliance are significant, and the consequences that result from ignoring mistakes that are made are too great.
Privacy by Design
With the first announcement of GDPR, privacy by design was made a legal requirement for all IT projects. Many worried that digital transformation projects which had already been scoped and designed significantly earlier would need to be altered. Privacy by design is often difficult to do in a retrospective manner; however, stopping a project and then restarting it from the very beginning is often out of the question.
The aim of digital transformation is to free up as much data and accurate context as possible within a company. Privacy is there to help with confidentiality; however, getting the two to co-exist is not always easy.
Ensure your projects are focused
One important lesson for project managers is that in order to successfully implement digital transformation, you need to ensure that your business goals are achievable and specific. You also need to ensure that you build a project team that embraces innovation and change, and in which all team members have the same vision for the project. Far too many businesses overstretch themselves because they make overly ambitious plans and then fall short of their goals. This can cause risk to their reputation and also to any sensitive data that they hold.
Tracking the use of both physical and digital resources can potentially help to identify those areas within a business where performance is not at optimum efficiency, and this can often be used to help rectify the problem. However, this needs to be done in an appropriate manner that works for each individual business and their circumstances. It is important that the employees are aware of any investigations of this type that are being made and that their individual privacy rights are also being respected during any processes that take place. When there is an automated decision-making process in place that has no form of consent, it directly contradicts the GDPR, and if this happens, careful decisions need to be taken to make alternative steps.
Ensure privacy is a priority from the start
in order to avoid any data breaches that could be potentially damaging, companies need to make sure that the security of their own company data is a priority from the very start. When you try to make widespread changes to the operations of a business, it is important to make sure that effective security precautions are not left to be dealt with in the future when they can often end up causing complex problems.
When your project monitors the use of every device that you create, you can use this data for product development and potential maintenance. However, there is often a need to ensure that any private data that is attached to devices is kept in a secure manner. Some of the most recent GDPR legislations place particular importance, for example, on data in healthcare and have additional rules in place that pertain to its storage and any further use. It is essential under this regulation that everyone involved is informed that their data could be collected and used so that they have the opportunity to prevent this from happening.
These permissions should be inbuilt into any project where they may become relevant from the outset to ensure that at every step of the project, the correct legislation is being followed. It is also important that documentation recording this data and how it is collected and then stored is produced.
Failing to take the necessary steps can result in a project being halted, and this can lead to delays within the project and with any product development that is taking place. It can also have implications on the financial side as stakeholders may choose to distance themselves from the project, and of course, starting again with the correct procedures in place can be expensive.
Key considerations
There are some potential pitfalls when it comes to digital transformation, however, it is still an exciting concept for a range of different businesses and sectors. The ability to leverage cutting-edge technology to accelerate business growth is an attractive prospect. Data privacy should, however, always be at the very foundation of every digital transformation project.
