August 6, 2018

1.4 : Digital Business Maturity Model

1.4 : Digital Business Maturity Model

Dr. Tahir Rashid, Senior Lecturer, Salford Business School, UK

In this unit, we’re going to look at the Digital Maturity Model. Organizations go through different stages in terms of adopting digital technologies within their organization.

All organizations are at different levels of adoption of digital technology

Some organizations perhaps are at the beginning stage of adopting technology, while others may be quite mature. And it is said within the digital environment, there are different levels that organizations go through.

For instance, at Level 0, companies may have very little presences on the Internet – and this is, perhaps, not by their own initiative. It could be that they appear in a directory which they have not initiated but the company is there.

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 0 = No owned or controlled web or social media engagement

In Level 1, the company has made some attempt to have a digital presence in terms of their products and services.

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 1 = Web presence but in a broadcast mode of engagement

In Level 2, they are now going to the next stage where they are beginning to have much more presence than, say, Level 1. In this level, the company is trying to optimize some of its operation digitally while other operations may be still done traditionally. Engaging in a two way communication with customers using digital channels

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 2 = Web presence moving to a two way communication via online tools

In Level 3, the company has done a considerable amount of optimization, more than, perhaps, at Level 2, and they are trying to achieve more efficiencies through this digitalization whether it is in terms of supply chain and management, whether it is through marketing, but the organization is connected through digitalization.

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 3 = Fully digital

In the last level, Level 4, this is about how the organization is looking in its future in terms of digitalization policy and strategy, and trying to compete on the basis of digital strategies.

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 4 = Use of visionary co-production and co-design

Colin Telford, Managing Partner, The Candidate Ltd, UK

We are at Level 2 of the Digital Business Maturity Model – we’re at the level of engagement – and I think we’re at the ceiling in terms of where we’re going to be with that particular model. The next level – less than 1% of the SMEs in the UK being at that level – which is there’s no Internet in our plan because everything does live and breath it.

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 2 = Engagement in a two way communication with customers using digital channels

Alex Charalambidis, Digital Marketing strategist, MONKS, Greece

We like to say that we are somewhere between Level 2 and Level 3 for our agency. But if we wanted to see from the client’s’ perspective, and the majority of the clients, I think that the majority of them are in the first level, which is actually the trial phase everyone is trying to set up something online, usually on social media, and they are learning from their mistakes. And after that they are probably going to a professional to help them with their digital marketing strategy, so I think that the majority of brands are in Level 1.

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 1 = Majority of clients who are trying to engage with customers and develop a presence

Kristina Chokoeva, Marketing Director, DINO, Bulgaria

Looking at the Digital Business Maturity Model, I believe we’re between Level 1 and Level 2. We do have online presence, but what we’re trying to achieve is the two-way communication with our customers. Overcoming the gap is crutial for our business, therefore we’re constantly trying to optimize our current marketing tools and generate new ones which will bring us competitive advantage.

Digital Business Maturity Model

Level 1 to Level 2 – Always looking to increase the engagement with customers

Additional material

Understanding the Digital Business Maturity model

Visit this blog post on the Digital Business Maturity Modelhttp://blogs.salford.ac.uk/business-school/digital-business-maturity-model/

Think about the organisation where you work or where you would like to work – on which level does it operate? What are the implications of this level for you and the digital marketing activities undertaken by that organisation?

References

Digital Business Maturity Model

http://blogs.salford.ac.uk/busines…

Please follow these chapter 1 related links:

Why is Digital and Social Media Marketing important today and in the future?
1.1. Introduction to strategic planning
1.2 SWOT analysis
1.3. Developing SMART objectives for strategy and campaigns
1.5. The consumer journey to online purchase
1.6. Introduction to core concepts and technologies of digital and social media marketing
1.7. Introduction to online branding