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In April this year, a Gartner survey asked exectuives “what is digital strategy?” – the analysis they developed from the answers is interesting. 

According to an article in Information Age, the study found that people were using the phrase to describe three things, or three times – 

The recent past: Some are fixed on e-commerce and e-business (a 90s term) . These are driven by a fear of failure 

The now: Concerned with social, mobile and the cloud. These executives are driven by wanting to appear up to date, on top of the latest developments. 

The near future: People thinking about digital strategy in this mode are concerned with what is about to be possible, as “products and services themselves become digital”.  

 Especially interesting to note the three definitions of digital strategy.

Much more useful than the “whee! No need for digital any more” sentiment.

http://www.information-age.com/it-management/strategy-and-innovation/123456955/what-is-a–digital-strategy–

What a business means when its says it has a ‘digital strategy’ therefore depends on whether they are trailling the pack, engaged in the present, or looking to the future, Raskino says.

Eventually, though, all business must look to the future, in a way they haven’t had to for the last 15 years, he adds.

“Businesses have had a decade and a half of packaged innovation,” Raskino argues. “They’ve just said to the IT suppliers, sell me the next thing I need to install to upgrade my business, whether it’s supply chain optimisation or customer relationship management. But that’s finished – there’s nothing left to sell at that level.

“Now businesses have to invent their own future.”

 I wonder what type of digital strategy your and your clients’ businesses are concerned with?