The Challenge
A globally recognized clothing company and iconic brand in the Fashion and Retail industry needed to digitally transform its systems, processes, organizations, and culture to compete in the 21st century. While some progress had been made, the company did not have a digital “mindset” and technologies integrated into all aspects of its business. The organization primarily used legacy, home-grown applications and disparate databases. Most of their operations – from design to implementation – relied on physical processes. Amid a global pandemic, the company realized it needed to unlock the potential of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
Our Solution
We created a “Digital Fluency for All” education program to accomplish three goals: First, to create a shared understanding of digital transformation and artificial intelligence; Second, to identify the function and application of technologies; Third, to put digital ways of working into action. We used plain language to explain complex, technical concepts while meeting the audience “where they are” in their digital transformation journey. After conducting interviews with leaders from across the global enterprise, we incorporated success stories and case studies relevant to the fashion retailer. This customized content was packaged into a self-paced learning module series (“Defining, Demystifying and Debunking AI”) rolled out to 14,000 employees, as well as a live and interactive session with the top 12 – 15 senior executives (“Reimagining Digital Possibilities”).
Results
Participants grasped concepts through a balanced combination of theory, internalization, and direct application to their current work. We accomplished the goals of the educational program – leaders and employees across the organization aligned to a common understanding of digital transformation, and gained new perspectives for how to apply, lead and accelerate digital transformation. This foundational knowledge also enabled better problem solving, increased productivity and an empowered workforce – all leading to new value creation in products and services that better support business partners and consumers.
