People
Go to OperationsPeople are crucial to successful business performance, and too often, initiatives fail when they leave the people behind. Investing in and engaging with your workforce is key to making the most of digital technologies.
Bringing employees along on the journey and engaging with them in planning for digital technology adoption can ensure people and systems are aligned, and that digital technologies are adopted appropriately and used to the benefit of the whole business.
Training for employees to use digital technologies can also uncover solutions and efficiencies that might not be apparent otherwise. Data from digital technologies can also support individuals and help to manage team performance, by giving real-time insights into workforce performance that are objective and free from ambiguity and bias.
This module will give you ideas for engaging your team, training and developing their skills, and monitoring their performance.
People are crucial. Investing in your workforce is key to making the most of digital technologies. Full engagement of and planning adoption of digital technologies together with employees can ensure that these technologies are adopted appropriately and used to the benefit of the whole business. Training for employees to use digital technologies can also uncover solutions and efficiencies that might not be apparent otherwise. Data from digital technologies can also support individuals and help to manage team performance, by giving real-time insights into workforce performance that are objective and free from ambiguity and bias.
Pause and reflect on following questions:
- How are you training and developing your people to be able to use data and digital technologies effectively?
- Can all your team members readily access supply chain and operational data that they need to work efficiently?
- Do you measure, track and monitor individual and team performance, aligned to key performance indicators?
Why does this matter?
Digital technologies are creating new roles and changing existing ones. Training and development ensures that workers are prepared and can get the most out of new technologies. Data provides objective information which is free from human ambiguity and bias, helping workers to be more effective and improve productivity.
What does good look like?
- Access to relevant training to use new and existing technologies effectively
- Actively sharing knowledge with and learning from colleagues
- Personal development plans in place to develop relevant digital skills
- Access to real-time data to help manage everyone's performance
- Understanding why, what and how to measure and capture data effectively
- Knowing when and how to optimise data to best use and share it with others
- Clear change management and implementation practices
How can we improve?
Measure, monitor and share employee feedback by using an engagement survey or a similar tool.
Define roles and responsibilities for digital transformation including digital advocates/champions.
Identify training pathways for the organisation as a whole and on an individual basis. Use a digital readiness diagnostic tool to analyse and diagnose any gaps in digital skills.
Set aside a dedicated budget for staff training, development and knowledge sharing activities. This could be as simple as hosting a monthly meeting to share best practice (e.g. "Lunch and learn").
Develop blended personal development plans which include classroom-based activities, online training events, practical masterclasses/hackathons and on-the-job training through mentoring and shadowing.
Take advantage of the Digital Supply Chain specific training which will shortly be launched through the Digital Supply Chain Hub, and also training that is available through software and hardware technology partners.
Join regional and national communities of practice to learn from peer-to-peer networking and wider ecosystems such as the Digital Supply Chain Hub.
Measure and monitor training effectiveness.
Share workforce performance metrics with your employees.
Explore Further
How can leaders best bring their teams along on their digital journey?
Read more
Take a deeper dive into your digital readiness with DSCH's free, in-depth digital readiness diagnostic to start your roadmapping journey or gain ideas to progress your existing plans.
Read more
Using a phased approach to digital transformation to increase internal and external engagement.
Read moreYou’ve read about how important people are to your digital supply chain and the benefits of active involvement, training and development, and proactive communication.
Now have a look at the exercise, which first asks you to think about those opening questions –
- How are we training and developing our people to be able to use data and digital technologies effectively?
- Can all my team members readily access supply chain and operational data that they need to work efficiently?
Consider where on the journey your business is and what the next priorities for improvement are.
Work through the exercise template, ideally with your team, and this will lead you to some actions to continue your journey towards a digital supply chain.
Interactive Exercise
Consider the current supply chain challenges and priorities for improvement in your business. Work through the exercise template, ideally with your team, and this will lead you to some actions to continue your journey towards a digital supply chain.
Download