Beyond Limits: Unleashing empowering innovation to transform performance
The Situation
Our organization underwent a significant transformation as we transitioned to adopting a new Target Operating Model (TOM) centred around digital sourcing. Despite this shift, its metric remained stagnant at 35% for an entire year, despite executive leadership continuously urging improvement.
The Task
My mission was to elevate the digital sourcing metric from 35% to 50% within a challenging timeframe of 6 months. The real hurdle lay not in the system or technology but in overcoming deep-seated behavioural challenges. Those responsible were sceptical and felt disempowered to make the necessary changes, deeming it too risky.
The Action / Approach
To break the chains of scepticism and empower the teams, I designed an innovation hackathon. This creative approach encouraged users to openly discuss their fears, assumptions, and challenges associated with the transition. The hackathon, structured around agile principles, created an inclusive and empowering environment, sparking creativity and collaboration.
To further support the hackathon goals, I also implemented a gamified “Myth Buster” campaign. This aimed to dispel incorrect assumptions and provide practical tips and tricks to overcome residual challenges.
This combined approach aimed to shift the mindset and build confidence among the teams.
The Result
The impact was remarkable. Teams began to believe not only in the possibility of change but also in their capacity to drive it. Within just one month, the programmatic metric surged by 10 percentage points. This success marked the beginning of a profound shift, with programmatic sourcing soaring to 60% within the stipulated 6 months.
The cascading effects of this transformation were substantial, leading to an annual saving of $8 million. The initiative not only surpassed its numerical goal but also ignited a cultural shift, fostering a newfound spirit of innovation and empowered collaboration among the teams.
“Beyond Limits” exemplifies how strategic, inclusive, and empowering initiatives can transcend perceived barriers, unlocking untapped potential and generating substantial organisational benefits.
Focus In On: Responsible for Digital Business Transformation
New Areas of Value:
Driving a culture of innovation for easier and faster adoption of future digital trends
Successful, timely delivery of evidence-based digital transformational outcomes; beyond digitisation
Creating a culture of involvement, empowerment and connection to the business
Improvements around:
Leaders mandating a change management and implementation approach that’s not appropriate to the organisation
Conflict between perception and reality of digital skills, tools, methods and talent required and available
