Digital transformation starts with reviewing and optimizing internal processes and structures before introducing new tools.

It doesn't usually work as expected if you do it the other way around.

This is supposed to be a very simple concept, but it's quite common to see business owners with a misconception that sees tools as an elixir rather than a cure.

An equally simple analogy is that you have tons of raw data ("big data?"), and you bought a database software expecting it to put the data into slots and turn it into usable information in a snap.

The right way, at least as it is now, is to normalize the data first, design the database structure accordingly, and then pour the data into it.

With the right steps, you'd see the flowers bloom and the data becomes something meaningful.

Conversely, if you didn't normalize the data and just filled the vault with the mess, you get garbage for sure.

Pretty straightforward, but you get the idea.

For more on this topic, read my other article about digital transformation (in Chinese).