What Are the Core Elements of Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation has a lot to do with technology: websites, apps, smartphones, tablets, data, blockchain, AI. These are just a few of the buzzwords we've heard over the past 25 years. But in the end, digital transformation isn’t really about technology. It’s about transformation.

“What you’re saying is pretty clear to us.”
That’s a sentence I’ve heard many times – in webinars, workshops, and change processes.
What people usually mean is: we understand how the technology works. We know how to implement it in editorial departments and publishing houses.

And they’re often right: the technical hurdles are manageable for many publishers. In fact, there are often pioneers who explore a new tool, embrace it, introduce it internally, and share their knowledge with others.

Still, many transformation efforts stall. The journalistic product doesn’t evolve as quickly as it should. Even today, many technical practices – like truly data-driven planning – have yet to become part of the everyday workflow.

What Does Digital Transformation Consist Of?

Digital transformation doesn’t just consist of digital. It also consists of transformation.
And that means: not just technical know-how, but transformation know-how as well.

That includes things like continuously adapting workflows, regularly reviewing your content strategy, and constantly analyzing audience behavior.
Let’s be honest: transformation is often much harder than technology.

At Upscore, we bring decades of experience – in both the digital side and the transformation side.
Our mission is to bring both together and make them work for our clients, in the real world.

One building block: our webinars, where we share what we’ve learned – for example, how to set smart priorities based on data.
Another: our practical work with publishing houses as part of our consulting service, Upscore GRIP.

Internally, we’ve been calling all of this “implementation competence.” Yikes. 😬
“IC”? Not great. Or in Denglish: “execution skills.” 🤦‍♂️
Got a better idea? Short, clear, self-explanatory? Let us know – by email, on LinkedIn, or via our Slack community.

Joachim Dreykluft is Head of Data & AI Strategies at Upscore.