Digital transformation is the use of digital technologies to create or modify an existing business model, business processes or customer experience to respond more effectively to changing customer expectations as well as business and market requirements. It is the use of digital technologies to make the organization more responsive to the realities of the digital age.
While digital transformation is both necessary and essential in the digital age, it has to be unbundled and practical. The responsibility to bring it to reality to the internal customer, staff, and transform the experience of the external consumer of the business products/services, the customer, lies with a robust ICT unit buttressed by effective leadership and governance, the executive and the board of the organization.
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What KUTRRH is doing
KUTRRH has a visionary board that has demonstrated astute leadership as well as a sound and agile executive. The staff, customers and citizens appreciate the vision and are consuming the product of the vision in the name of quality patient-centred care by KUTRRH. This vision of the board and the executive requires an effective digital environment. Evaluation of the efficacy of the ICT unit of the organization in translating the vision of the board and the dexterity of the executive into tangible digital age realities for the citizenry becomes important.
Efficacy of ICT
How do we evaluate the efficacy of the ICT unit? There are four main parameters derived from Tarvid’s model for digital readiness assessment in higher education.
- The first parameter is reliability or the ability to perform promised services dependably and accurately.
- The second is responsiveness or the willingness to help users and to provide prompt service.
- The third is rapport or the ability to convey caring and courteous support.
- The final is tangibles or the ability to provide physical facilities, equipment and decent appearance of personnel.
Digital innovation, imagining new tools for digital transformation, would be the author’s modification to Tarvid’s model. What would you add?
Reliability, responsiveness, rapport and tangibles are the yardsticks of the ICT department that is responsible to the executive and the board to spearhead the digital transformation agenda for KUTRRH to meet or exceed citizen expectations in the digital age health care service.
Dr. Mwirigi Kiula, Deputy Director, ICT & Innovation