- Innovation
4 tips to become a more digital organization
April 29 — 2025
The major changes experienced by organizations in recent years create equally significant opportunities. But how do we approach this? Where to start? And above all, what changes should be implemented to have a long-term impact on organizations?
Digital technology is taking and will always take an increasingly important place in everyday life. To stand out, most companies will likely need to give it more and more importance and learn, if they haven't already, to digitize their services, products, and business models. They will need to become more digital organizations.
Becoming a digital organization is not just a technological challenge. An organization does not become digital by purchasing the right software or deploying the right platform. Becoming a digital organization is first and foremost a matter of organizational culture and people. There is no single answer or universal plan. However, a few avenues for reflection and observations can be useful in addressing this challenge.
The most important thing for companies wishing to make the shift is to finally take digital seriously and simply get started. An organization does not become digital by making one big leap: it does so by constantly taking many small steps.
1. Create digital products
“ The best way to predict the future is to create it. ”
⏤ Alan Kay
It seems that many organizations spend too much time thinking about digital rather than doing digital. This doesn't mean that the thinking process should be neglected. However, several learnings can only be achieved through action. It's by trying to put one foot in front of the other and falling that a child learns to walk.
In an ideal world, it is estimated that every organization should eventually aspire to have its own development team to accelerate the pace at which it can test new ideas. That being said, if companies don't create their own digital products internally, it is recommended that they at least have a thorough understanding of the development process and rely on some digital products created in the past on which they can experiment and learn.
Many companies claim that digital product development is not their core business. This is absolutely true. However, Amazon, Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb are not considered mere software development companies. They are retail, video rental, taxi, and hospitality companies that have put digital and software development at the heart of everything they do. If digital product development is not a company's core business, it should nevertheless be at its center.
Still too many organizations are slowed down by planning endless projects and making massive investments in existing solutions that promise a lot. It is very difficult to completely rethink the customer experience and stand out from competitors using the same tools they do. Reinventing oneself inevitably involves an act of creation. It's about imagining the company's future and building it. One shouldn't wait for someone else to do it and then sell it at a premium.
La Presse's story is inspiring. Before abandoning paper, the company launched several products, made numerous learnings, and built solid internal expertise before launching La Presse+. Today, La Presse is considered one of the best digital product creation teams in Quebec.
To become a digital organization, digital product development must absolutely be part of its DNA.
2. Never stop innovating
Innovation feeds on innovation, and its impact is always exponential. This concept can be difficult to grasp without experiencing it firsthand. A small idea, feature, or project that might seem quirky and trivial today can lead to new ideas and knowledge, which in turn will open up a world of possibilities. Then, very quickly, these small steps can lead much further than what was initially possible to imagine.
Contrary to popular belief, innovation doesn't necessarily arise from "the big idea" or a stroke of genius. Innovation is the result of several small, well-executed ideas. Innovation is about execution and momentum. It's primarily this ability to execute and maintain cadence that defines organizations that succeed in transforming themselves.
“ To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions. ”
⏤ Steve Jobs
This velocity and rhythm are what transformed small startups into today's tech giants. Consider Amazon: their venture into cloud infrastructure was possible because they spent years building expertise while developing their e-commerce platform. Similarly, they could launch Alexa because they'd already spent years developing AI to power their sales recommendation engines. Innovation always builds upon past innovations.
Take Netflix's journey: they started as an online DVD rental service with postal delivery. When streaming technology emerged, they were ready to pivot because they already had robust rental and payment systems in place. Later, their deep understanding of viewing preferences led them naturally into content production. Each transformation laid the groundwork for the next.
The key to becoming a digital organization is simple yet challenging: stay in constant motion and never stop innovating.
3. Don’t underestimate the power of details
Industry transformations rarely come from technology alone—they emerge from the products and services that harness this technology. It's the web platforms, mobile apps, software solutions, interactive kiosks, and smart TV applications that truly democratize technology by putting it in the hands of billions.
Every successful digital product shares a common foundation: a deep understanding of human needs and behaviors. Digital transformation transcends technology—it's fundamentally about experience. A product that fails to deliver value or serve a genuine purpose simply won't be used.
For businesses, the core challenge remains constant: How do we deliver exceptional customer experiences? How do we provide real utility? How do we eliminate friction at every turn, whether by equipping our teams with the right tools or streamlining operations to enhance every interaction? How do we add that touch of magic? Every detail matters—a crucial point that many organizations overlook. They often miss opportunities to enhance customer touchpoints and improve their team's ability to deliver.
Digital transformations are usually easier to explain from a micro perspective than a macro one.
Consider Uber. Individual features might seem trivial in isolation. "Should we really invest so heavily in in-app payments just to spare people from pulling out their wallets? Is it worth the substantial investment just to show a car's location on a map and tell users when to step outside?" It's tempting to assume these investments won't justify their returns. That's not entirely wrong.
However, like technology itself, the impact of each customer experience improvement compounds exponentially. When multiple improvements multiply together, they create an experience that vastly outperforms the competition. When every touchpoint enhancement builds upon the others, you create experiences powerful enough to reshape entire industries.
This is the birthplace of major transformations: when organizations constantly explore how digital technology can enhance lives at every touchpoint, no matter how small.
People don't act with malicious intent. No one deliberately sets out to harm local economies by shopping online, or to diminish the value of a taxi driver's permit. People naturally gravitate toward the path of least resistance—they choose the superior experience. At comparable costs, they'll continue making this choice, regardless of contrary arguments. People will always opt for the best experience, independent of society's protectionist measures. If we want to preserve local economies, the solution is straightforward: build better experiences.
To truly become a digital organization, the customer and every nuance of their experience must remain at the heart of everything you do.
4. Don't be cynical
Let's resist cynicism when considering digital's impact on organizations. New technologies often appear pointless at first glance—it's notoriously difficult to predict their impact or how people will ultimately use them. Consider the story of Thomas Edison: legend has it that the phonograph's inventor, not particularly fond of music himself, envisioned his creation primarily as a tool for documenting letters. History abounds with similar tales of inventors who didn't fully grasp their creation's potential. Indeed, the most disruptive innovations often appear as mere toys to established enterprises—a key insight from Clayton Christensen's renowned Disruption Theory.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) perfectly exemplifies this innovation pattern. While its potential is already evident across multiple domains, its truly transformative impact will emerge through practical applications. Whether enhancing customer experience to unprecedented levels, streamlining internal operations, or spawning entirely new services, AI's thoughtful integration into processes and products will redefine industry standards and enhance daily life.
We must always be on the lookout for new opportunities and embrace innovation with enthusiasm. Let's not join the chorus of “just another useless technology”. Instead, let's stay curious and explore how emerging technologies could enhance our organizations and the experiences we offer.
Above all, we must recognize that technology-driven transformation shows no signs of slowing. The only path to long-term sustainability lies in becoming a fundamentally digital organization ourselves.