使领导战略和数据计划与数字机构保持一致

The DigitalAgency: Bridgingthe Leadership-Operations Divide Companies must implement structural changes to buildalignment and maximally leverage their data assets Table of Contents 3457888911121213Executive SummaryIntroductionThe Role of a Digital AgencyKey Benefits of Bridging the GapPartnerships for Digital Agency SuccessConclusionSymptoms and Consequences of Structural MisalignmentDefining a Digital AgencyKey ResponsibilitiesBuilding the Right TeamThe Role of Boutique Digital Strategy ConsultantsCase Study: Shawbrook Bank Executive Summary While many enterprises successfully drive technology initiatives,a divide between leadership and operations continues toprevent too many companies from making the most of theirdata assets. Organizations often face miscommunication,misaligned priorities, and delayedexecution in their data projects, resulting in missed businessopportunities. These challenges call for a transformationalapproach to align these two critical forces withinthe organization. To bring leadership’s strategic vision together with operations'technical execution requires an organizational addendum to theenterprise: a digital advantage lobby group. Acting as a bridgebetween leadership and operations, the digital advantage lobbygroup, or digital agency, evaluates strategic priorities foractionable data initiatives and data initiatives for alignment withstrategic priorities. The evaluations ensure impactful executionand long-term operational success. This white paper highlights the structure, functionality, andpotential of a digital agency, alongside key benefits ranging fromimproved decision-making to enhanced competitive edge. Itfurther explores how companies can empower their digitalagency with supplemental third-party expertise from boutiquedigital strategy consultants, and demonstrates how this can leadto fruitful, long-term collaborations. Introduction Leadership teams are under immense pressure to adapt to a data-driven marketplace. They must notonly make quick, informed decisions and rely heavily on technical teams to transform data intoactionable insights but also set the pace for new projects and distribute budgets accordingly.However, a persistent gap between business and technology often results in operational inefficienciesand fragmented execution. for SoftServe of 750 business and IT leaders atcompanies with $1 billion or more in annual revenue, a full 65% believe their organization's leadershipdoesn't fully understand how to generate value from data, which negatively impacts their investmentpriorities. That problem is compounded by a lack of an intermediary. The same percentage believethat no one in their company fully understands the entirety of the data they collect or how toeffectively access it.According to a survey conducted by Wakefield Research These problems are intensified by the lack of a dedicated internal function to align leadership goals withoperational capabilities. In the absence of a nexus of cross-functional collaboration, technical expertise,and independent mandates to prioritize and manage data projects, this misalignment will persist andhamper companies’ competitiveness. Symptoms and Consequences of Structural Misalignment The costs of the operations-leadership divide are significant. Companies that fail to modernize andstreamline their data-driven practices risk falling behind competitors who are already leveragingactionable insights to optimize costs, improve quality, and enhance customer experiences.Organizationsstuck with outdated processes face higher operational costs, lost revenue opportunities, and erodedcustomer trust—all of which contribute to declining market relevance. Consider a recent example: the sprint andsubsequent failure to roll out Gen AI applications.According to, only 22% of organizations haveachieved enterprise-wide Gen AI success. Whileleadership rushed to harness the technology ofthe hour, their lack of synchronization with theiroperational capabilities seriously hampered theirefforts. Just 42% said they can train Gen AImodels, and 89% struggle to prepare businessdata. A mere 24% had rolled out a governancepolicy, and 75% or more face challenges aroundGen AI understanding, soft skills and inclinations,hard skills and training, and ethics, risk, andprivacy awareness.a 2024 commissioned global studyconducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf ofSoftServe To truly grasp the impact of the digital agency'sapproach, it's key to understand the specificsymptoms of organizational misalignment it seeksto resolvex q Lack of insight: Leadership teams struggle toleverage their growing mountains of data dueto insufficient technical understanding, whileoperations fail to articulate the business valueof technical initiativesx q Misallocated budgets: Without a clearalignment, funding often flows into low-priorityprojects with limited business impactx q Delayed timelines: Leadership sets ambitiousgoals, but poor communication withoperational t