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Book

Orchestrating Transformation

How to deliver winning performance with a connected approach to change

By Michael R. Wade, James Macaulay, Andy Noronha and Joel Barbier

254 pages

Hardcover

Overview

Book preview

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Overview

Book preview

Keep reading

—Building on the global success of Digital Vortex, Orchestrating Transformation describes how to successfully execute your organization’s digital transformation.

Company leaders feel the urgency to transform their organizations in the face of digital disruption. New rivals are digitizing whatever can be digitized to attack incumbents’ value chains, gaining market share, eroding margins, and wreaking havoc to the competitive landscape in virtually every industry.

For large and midsized companies, the imperative to transform is clear. How to transform is another matter.

The hard truth is that despite leaders’ best efforts, and billions spent in pursuit of digital transformation, the vast majority of organizational change programs fizzle, falling well short of their expected impacts. But organizations can ill-afford for their transformation programs to flop. Failed transformation programs put incumbents behind the eight ball when it comes to dealing with disruptive competition.

With this important new book, Orchestrating Transformation: How to Deliver Winning Performance with a Connected Approach to Change, the team at the Global Center for Digital Business Transformation, an IMD and Cisco initiative, set out a new prescription for getting transformation right.

The piecemeal strategies and pilot projects that are hallmarks of conventional transformation programs are hopelessly inadequate for the intricate, sprawling organizational environments found in most companies. Transformation practitioners need a different mindset and a new approach to executing change that can handle the complexity and scale of today’s market leaders. Orchestration—”mobilizing and enabling so as to achieve a desired effect”—paves the way for a new, more holistic view of organizational resources and how they work together to drive change synergistically.

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You can also buy the book on Barnes & Nobles, Book Depository, Orell Füssli and Routledge.

Publisher

International Institute for Management Development

ISBN

9781945010033

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Article

Financial trends 2025: tighten your (safety) belts for a roller-coaster ride

Global market shifts and turbulence in 2025 mean Chief Financial Officers must take into account inflation, trade tensions and shifting regulations to ensure long-term growth

China Disruption Economics Emerging Market Future Readiness Global Business Sustainability

By Karl Schmedders

in I by IMD

Book Chapter

The geopolitical context

Companies don’t operate in a vacuum. Corporate leaders have to navigate political dynamics, and in Chapter 12 we discuss nonmarket strategies. But there’s a global dimension to sustainability that’s worth a separate discussion. Will rising geopoli...

Geopolitics Economics Sustainability Disruption

By Richard Baldwin and Simon J. Evenett

in Binder, Julia Katharina (Ed.); Haanaes, Knut Bjarne (Ed.) / Leading the sustainable business transformation: A playbook from IMD, pp. 47-57 / Hoboken: Wiley, 2025

Book Chapter

Framing the conversation

In late 2020, as the world began to emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wärtsilä, a Finnish corporation specializing in power systems, made a bold decision. Despite being a well-established company with a strong track record in...

Strategy Leadership Disruption

By Julia Katharina Binder and Knut Bjarne Haanaes

in Binder, Julia Katharina (Ed.); Haanaes, Knut Bjarne (Ed.) / Leading the sustainable business transformation: A playbook from IMD, pp. 1-7 / Hoboken: Wiley, 2025

Case Study

NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

Case Study

NTT at a crossroads (B): Mapping growth options

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

Article

Lessons from leadership by an Olympic Finalist

When I was eight years old, I watched the Mexico Olympics on television and thought ‘I want to do that.’ It took eight years and an incredible amount of work, including extraordinary highs and lows, to achieve that goal.

Leadership Disruption Organizational Behavior

By Susan Goldsworthy

in Startups Magazine

11 December 2024

Report

Red alert: Is China's recent export growth so exceptional that foreign officials and corporate executives should be losing sleep?

This year China has been repeatedly accused of resorting to export-led growth (as if that were a crime), flooding world markets with goods, and exacerbating trade tensions. In this briefing I provide a measured, evidence-based review of recent Chi...

China Disruption Global Business

By Simon J. Evenett

Global Trade Alert, Zeitgeist Series Briefing no. 53, 9 December 2024

Article

كيف يمكن إدارة الصراعات في الشركات العائلية؟

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Family Business Change Management Disruption

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in Arabian Business.com

6 December 2024

Case Study

DBS (A): “Damn bloody slow” to best digital bank in the world

Customer Centricity Digital Organizational Change Organizational Design

By Seán Meehan, Goutam Challagalla and Pallivathukkal Cherian Abraham

Case Study

DBS (B): Managing through customer journeys

Customer Centricity Digital Organizational Change Organizational Design

By Seán Meehan, Goutam Challagalla and Pallivathukkal Cherian Abraham

Financial trends 2025: tighten your (safety) belts for a roller-coaster ride

By Karl Schmedders
in I by IMD

Summary

Global market shifts and turbulence in 2025 mean Chief Financial Officers must take into account inflation, trade tensions and shifting regulations to ensure long-term growth

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

China

Disruption

Economics

Emerging Market

Future Readiness

Global Business

Sustainability

Browse all topics

The geopolitical context

By Richard Baldwin and Simon J. Evenett
in Binder, Julia Katharina (Ed.); Haanaes, Knut Bjarne (Ed.) / Leading the sustainable business transformation: A playbook from IMD, pp. 47-57 / Hoboken: Wiley, 2025

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Geopolitics

Economics

Sustainability

Disruption

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NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth

By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2351 ©2024

Summary

NTT Corporation, Japan’s information and communication technologies (ICT) leader since 1953, was the first to commercialize internet usage on mobile phones in the 1990s, which resulted in NTT achieving much success in Japan. However, by the end of the 2000s, Japan faced challenges with an aging population and a stagnant economy. Recognizing disruption in the ICT sector, CEO Satoshi Miura understood the need for the dominant players in the ICT industry to integrate emerging business domains beyond their existing frameworks. To secure leading global positions in ICT and the new paradigm of cloud computing, Miura needed to make strategic choices to revive growth. Case A provides information on NTT, its rivals, the global market and cloud computing disruptions. The case ends with NTT’s CEO exploring strategic growth options to prepare NTT for the future.

Reference IMD-7-2351

Organization Nippon Telegraph and Telephone

Industry Services, Telecommunications;Information Technology

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

General Management

Digital

Disruption

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Related content

Case Study

NTT at a crossroads (B): Mapping growth options

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

NTT at a crossroads (B): Mapping growth options

By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2352 ©2024

Summary

Building on NTT (A), the case starts with NTT’s CEO having narrowed down strategic growth options with the board to prepare NTT for the future. Past international investments in AT&T Wireless and KPN to tap into foreign markets had resulted in billion $ write offs and stopped international acquisitions. However, after reviewing the disruptive changes facing the ICT industry and considering the shareholders’ views, CEO Miura committed to internationalization. The B case details NTT’s growth strategy focused on internationalization, while considering the need for new capabilities and technologies. It provides more insights into NTT, its opportunities and the Japanese experience with M&As and ends with Miura’s determination to quickly grow through international expansion to prepare NTT for the future.

Reference IMD-7-2352

Organization Nippon Telegraph and Telephone

Industry Services, Telecommunications;Information Technology

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

General Management

Digital

Disruption

Browse all topics

Related content

Case Study

NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

Lessons from leadership by an Olympic Finalist

By Susan Goldsworthy
in Startups Magazine 11 December 2024

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Leadership

Disruption

Organizational Behavior

Browse all topics

Red alert: Is China's recent export growth so exceptional that foreign officials and corporate executives should be losing sleep?

By Simon J. Evenett
Global Trade Alert, Zeitgeist Series Briefing no. 53, 9 December 2024

Summary

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

China

Disruption

Global Business

Browse all topics

كيف يمكن إدارة الصراعات في الشركات العائلية؟

By Alfredo De Massis and Emanuela Rondi
in Arabian Business.com 6 December 2024

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Family Business

Change Management

Disruption

Browse all topics

DBS (A): “Damn bloody slow” to best digital bank in the world

By Seán Meehan Goutam Challagalla and Pallivathukkal Cherian Abraham
Case reference: IMD-7-2633 ©2024

Summary

Since becoming DBS Bank’s CEO in 2009, Piyush Gupta led its transformation to become a standard setter globally for digitalization and customer centricity in financial services. This transformation started with fixing the basics (2009-2014), in which DBS implemented consistent systems and processes across the bank and used five-day process improvement events to fix customer journeys. DBS then began benchmarking with tech leaders (2014 onwards), which led it to build a middleware layer on top of its core banking platform to allow it to develop and launch new products rapidly, implement straight-through processing so that most transactions could be completed digitally and instantly, and move data and applications to the cloud. The next phase of the transformation was two-in-a-box (2018 onwards). DBS reorganized its businesses and key functions into 33 platforms to become more agile. Platforms were organized based on key businesses or key shared or support functions. Each platform was co-led by a business lead and a technology lead who were empowered to do what was required to achieve the desired outcomes. As Gupta looked back in early 2021, he was pleased with the progress that DBS had made since 2009. At the same time, he knew there was no room for complacency. This was especially true in Singapore where its two major local competitors had upped their game, and the government had issued digital banking licenses to potentially formidable new competitors. The bank’s executive committee resolved to do whatever was necessary to further enhance the bank’s customer centricity. It considered the three classical avenues for doing so: organizing around customer segments, implementing new ways of working using agile teams and a horizontal organization and focusing on culture and principles. Making the right choice would be crucial to the bank’s continued success.

Reference IMD-7-2633

Organization Development Bank of Singapore

Industry Finance and Insurance, Banking

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Customer Centricity

Digital

Organizational Change

Organizational Design

Browse all topics

Related content

Case Study

DBS (B): Managing through customer journeys

Customer Centricity Digital Organizational Change Organizational Design

By Seán Meehan, Goutam Challagalla and Pallivathukkal Cherian Abraham

DBS (B): Managing through customer journeys

By Seán Meehan Goutam Challagalla and Pallivathukkal Cherian Abraham
Case reference: IMD-7-2634 ©2024

Summary

To stay ahead of competitors, DBS knew it needed to continue to innovate and improve customer centricity. To do so, it decided to move to a horizontal organizational structure, an approach it named Managing Through Journeys (MtJs). This involved bringing together representatives from all functions that touched the customer journey from the beginning to the end. This would allow DBS to deliver a more seamless and integrated customer experience. The bank introduced a few pilot MtJs in 2021. By 2024, more than 60 MtJs were in operation, accounting for over 60% of the bank’s revenues. The MtJs had nine elements, which collectively led to a new way of working. Three foundational elements provided the initial momentum and specified how to measure impact. These were performance cells, cross-functional teams focused on a specific product or customer segment; performance management architecture, which specified the common set of KPIs for each performance cell; and performance development and compensation, which enabled MtJ members to be evaluated and rewarded for their contributions. Six interconnected elements created a flywheel effect for continuous improvement. These were the value map and control tower, which mapped the relationship between levers, drivers and outcomes; customer obsession, which drove customer research; experimentation using a structured approach; artificial intelligence/machine learning to create faster feedback loops; innovation using a structured approach to accelerate the ideation and production process; and workflow workbench which ensured information flowed seamlessly across all performance cell members. The move to MtJs allowed DBS to stay on top of the customer service rankings in Singapore’s banking sector The operational improvements from the bank’s transformation improved the bank’s business performance significantly. The bank’s leadership knew that keeping the customer front of mind would need to be an ongoing priority.

Reference IMD-7-2634

Organization Development Bank of Singapore

Industry Finance and Insurance, Banking

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Customer Centricity

Digital

Organizational Change

Organizational Design

Browse all topics