Building a digital transformation strategy for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)

The answer: digital transformation

Digital transformation is the process of identifying what data an organization has, where it is located and how it’s used so we can strengthen its existing capabilities and better recognize new and emerging services. Digital transformation isn’t only about processing data quicker — which often doesn’t require a thorough review of exactly how the data is used — it’s determining how to best connect every piece of an organization’s data to meet the needs of a modern, evolving workplace.

From caterpillar to butterfly: organizing your data

Using the example of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, data organized in applications such as Excel is the caterpillar, and the final step of digital transformation is the butterfly. Most organizations view data optimization as accessing data faster. For example, an organization categorizes their data into more concise groups, which is like putting a caterpillar on, say, a skateboard. Now the data can technically move through the organization faster, but it’s still the same data managed in the same software. To make the data work better for an organization, that caterpillar must transform into its final stage, the butterfly. In digital transformation, how an organization functions also starts out as the caterpillar before morphing into the butterfly. It’s still the same organization, it just works differently than it used to because of new, more efficient connections between people, processes and technology. When working with the PANYNJ, we identified over 100 opportunities for improvement within their Engineering Department through the following series of digital transformation steps. Like the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, each step builds on the one before it to reach an optimized final form.

Discovering your starting point

We consider data as the first step toward building a digital transformation strategy — data is the caterpillar. We begin with discovery, where we identify pain points within the organization and needs within the data and for those who work with it. The most common issues we encounter are needing to improve the quality, relevance and timeliness of the organization’s data. The initial step toward transforming the organization from a data perspective is to digitize all data and store it in a central location, allowing all teams to access information more easily. This newfound efficiency leads to finding opportunities for data automation, which improves accessibility and the utilization of the existing technology. These new efficiencies then prepare organizations to integrate advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, in the future.

Creating data governance

Next, we establish data governance, or a set of rules for finding all relevant data and establishing how it’s used, what it’s used for and who uses it. Think of this step as the caterpillar inside its chrysalis, where some of the biggest changes happen. Data governance maximizes the data’s value because new, streamlined processes ensure the data is used most efficiently. For the PANYNJ Engineering Department, the data governance stage included implementing a file management system, standardizing the data collection and migrating legacy data so there is a robust framework from which to make decisions that improve project delivery.

Building the technology ecosystem

The success of a digital strategy depends on how the data is ultimately organized and managed going forward. To do this, you need a technology ecosystem — an integrated set of software entirely housed in a central location that brings together technology, processes and data. There is no one-size-fits-all here. Building an effective technology ecosystem requires an in-depth knowledge of the organization’s operational needs. For example, we determined which data management software to introduce at the PANYNJ due in part to their need to store building information models (BIM) through software that has an intuitive interface for the Engineering Department’s users.

Embracing the transformation

The sequential implementation of each of these steps helps an organization realize the full potential of its people and the communities they serve, while preparing them for new technology advances. Change may be uncomfortable at first, like when the caterpillar emerges from its chrysalis and is transformed into a butterfly, but a new familiarity quickly takes hold. The organization and its staff grow accustomed to using their data in new, more effective ways — a strategy that empowers organizations and their people to face the future with confidence.

The second article in this series on digital transformation discusses how to develop a data governance strategy for your organization to better incorporate emerging technology like artificial intelligence.