The Digital Transformation Playbook: Rethink Your Business for the Digital Age (Columbia Business School Publishing) Hardcover – April 5, 2016

This book is a must read for anyone who is looking for a good book on digital transformation.The book is packed with good practical examples from well-known digital native and traditional companies including tools, suggestions and interesting information about digital transformation.With his professional background in Business Strategy and Digital Marketing, the author profoundly provides a unique view on Digital Strategy.This book consists of seven chapters with conclusion in the end. Self- assessment is also provided to conduct an audit of the business’s readiness for digital transformation.The first chapter begins with the five domains of digital transformation which cover customers, competition, data, innovation and value. The author explains how digital forces are reshaping such domains. In this chapter, key concepts and strategic themes of digital transformation are defined. I believe that these five domains are essential factors that need to be seriously considered by all companies under the digital environment. Even though organizational challenges have been mentioned in this book, my personal view is that this topic should be considered as a domain in digital transformation as well.Chapter two focuses on customer domain. The author points out that the relationship of customers to businesses is changing therefore business people have to rethink about their customers. The author explains how and why such relationship to customers is changing in every industry. The author also points out that we are no longer in Mass market business model but we are in the midst of a profound shift toward “Customer network model”. With the emerging of digital platform businesses, I believe that everyone can see this shifting.Chapter three provides detailed information on competition. The main point of this chapter is “Build platforms, not just products”. With great examples from platform businesses like Airbnb and other similar platform businesses companies we can clearly see that competition is happening more across industries than being happened within the same industries. We can see the role of asymmetric competitors in this chapter. Detailed information on platforms can be found in this chapter. However, further reading is required if you want to know more about platform businesses.Chapter four focuses on data domain. As we all know companies all over the world have long been using data as a tool for their businesses. They also know that data is a valuable asset. However turning data into asset is less likely to happen in the real world for pre-Internet companies. Thank to this book, the author includes the data as a domain for digital transformation. The author depicts the changes in strategic assumptions from the analog to the digital age in term of data usage. Focusing on data as an asset is the main point of this chapter. The data strategy and impact of big data are explained with great examples. The data value generator proposed in this chapter is an important tool for generating new strategic ideas for using the data. However, further reading is still required to explore the meaning of data in other perspectives.Innovation has been an important part of every business and playing more important role in digital businesses. Chapter five gives the details on innovation domain. Apparent examples shown in this chapter are good information on how companies learn to innovate and improve their products, services and processes. A success story of a company provides in this chapter is a good source of ideas for innovation. Innovate by rapid experimentation is the main point of this chapter. Seven principles of experimentation are provided as a guideline to create the most for company innovation efforts. Based on those principles two types of experimental methods given in this chapter are very helpful for such experiments. We can also learn how to scaling up an innovation by using four paths describe in this chapter.Chapter six is about value domain. Adapt your value proposition is the main point of this chapter. Music business is used as an example to describe the value proposition of players in this business. In addition to value change in strategic assumption the author also proposes the routes for businesses to move upward a declining market. In order for any organization to access and adapt its value proposition for its customers, the Value Proposition Roadmap is a helpful tool for this purpose. Under this roadmap, detailed information is provided by using hypothetical university as a good example.Final chapter is about Mastering Disruptive Business Model. In this chapter the author develops a clear understanding of disruption in a sphere of business by offering a comprehensive definition of business disruption. It can be clearly seen from the definition that innovations are not the same as disruption. The author also proposes a Business Model Theory of Disruption as a predictor of business disruption. There are two types of tools being used under the topic of Mastering Disruptive Business Model. With the help of these tools the companies will be able to assess whether or not new challenger poses a disruptive threat to an incumbent industry and will also be able to map out how a disruptive challenge will likely play out and identify companies best option for response. The strategies to become the disrupter and the strategies to mitigate losses from the disruptor are provided with examples.In conclusion, the author emphasize that digital transformation is not about technology but about strategy. Organizational agility is a key reason for businesses that are unable to successfully keep up with fast-paced evolution of digital age. Therefore three general areas in developing organizational agility are proposed in this chapter .In addition, the author also provides Self-assessment tool to conduct companies’ readiness for digital transformation.I completely agree with the author that, in many cases, management simply doesn’t have a playbook to follow to understand and then address the competitive challenges of digitization. If you are looking for such playbook I recommend this book to you.

I discovered this author during my research of Digital Transformation. He quickly rose to the top our the subject matter experts on the topic. He provides a great roadmap to establish a great understanding of how digital transformation is changing the business landscape.

One of the best book so far I have gone through on the subject.It is a good guide for people doing digital transformation in organisation

Good book in transformation digital century

The best: Clear and pragmatic, a lot of examples that made things easy to follow. Thought provokingThe worst: Somewhat repetitive methodology across chapters. Understand you need a model to support people in their day to day but at some points just seemed a bit academic

As a digital-native I enjoyed this read as a utility to share with my non-digital colleagues. This book does a fantastic job of breaking down the core aspects of business strategy contrasted with the modern landscape of how technologies, the internet and newer platforms are shaking up industries. For those running or working with businesses formed prior to the proliferation of digital channels for connecting with and delivering value to their respective audiences this is a great crash course to jumpstart vernacular.

Great book and easy to understand. What I find it most useful are the tools shared by Professor Rogers are pragmatic and lesson learnt is Digital Transformation is not about chasing after the latest technology but rather reminding us to continuously seek to understand customers behaviours that were shaped by technology exposure has resulted in areas where once marketing has thought to create value has now became the normal must have and this can simply be replaced with a technology that continues to fill the need and in return freeing up our resources so that we can start creating another competitive distinction strategy for our brand.

The book not only defines digital transformation (I.e. the “what”) but also provides multiple concepts, tools, frameworks, ACTIONS (process) one must undertake to successfully make the transition to digital (I.e. the “how”). Note that the book does not elaborate on emotional intelligence, leadership and change management topics - so critical to any transformation. Nevertheless it’s eye-popping (esp.sections on disruption and modifications to the famed Prof. Christensen’s Innovators Dilemma model). In all it’s A MUST READ BOOK! Buy it, read it and enjoy the clarity in digital transformation decision making.