The art of continuous transformation

Transformation is no longer a choice for businesses. It is a necessity. To keep up with rapid changes in their markets and in ways of doing business, companies in every industry are transforming internal functions and go-to-market processes. Transformations are significant change programs that require substantial resources, expertise, and leadership commitment—and they a fundamental part of the top leadership agenda.

In a recent KPMG survey of transformation leaders, 82 percent of respondents said the pace of transformation is accelerating. The survey also found that organizations are typically running multiple change programs simultaneously and 60 percent of respondents said transformations have essentially become continuous.

Successfully managing continuous transformation requires four capabilities:

• Tracking value—throughout the program, not just at the end
• Building roadmaps to turn a clear vision into quick, measurable outcomes
• Orchestrating multiple initiatives to take into account interconnections; it is no longer possible to manage projects independently or sequentially
• Managing the people experience. Transformation burnout is a risk and getting buy-in and adoption of new ways of working remain key to transformation success.

These capabilities will bring clarity and capacity to support continuous transformation. They deal with different aspects of the challenge, but they have a common theme: this work calls for more collaboration, innovation, and partnership across the organization. To truly succeed, you will need a cultural shift to encourage collaboration and adopt new ways of working.