CONTRIBUTOR
Eric Kimberling, CEO of Third Stage Consulting, leverages social media to share his expertise and insights on digital transformation. With 48.7K subscribers on YouTube and with 47.6K followers on TikTok, Eric benefits from the exposure across his platforms as they lead to new clients, but he says the reception and comments he receives on his videos vary in tone, depending where he posts his ideas.
“I’d say YouTube is usually a lot friendlier than TikTok. When I put out something, I’ll try to argue one or both sides of the same argument, or I’ll play devil’s advocate. A lot of times I get shredded more so on TikTok. I get roasted more there than I do in other platforms. But it’s still a really good following. It shows there’s a big digital transformation community throughout the world.”
Eric is an expert in organizational change management, project management, implementation and evaluations of ERP systems. His extensive experience includes ERP software selection, organizational change management, implementation project management and benefits realization.
When considering a new technology, Eric stresses the importance of focusing first on business needs. “It can be easy to get enamored by all these cool technologies, and in some cases, overwhelmed by it,” he says. “The key is to not get too taken in by the shiny object and to focus on what your business needs are.” Eric notes that some companies believe they need to adopt artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, machine learning and robotic process automation all at once, but in reality, they may not have even automated their period and close processes yet.
“Focus on automating your period and close, then you can worry about machine learning and incorporating emerging technologies into your transformation,” advises Eric. This steady-but-measured approach to digital transformation is supported by research that indicates the majority of companies who fail in their transformations do so due to a lack of strategic prioritization. One study found that only 27% of digital transformations succeed, with key reasons for failure being taking on too much too soon without a clear plan or roadmap.
“The first thing to recognize is that you have options,” says Eric. “There’s a lot of different technologies out there, and if one doesn’t seem to fit your needs, priorities or values, there’s probably one that does.” Eric cautions against getting caught up in “analysis paralysis,” warning against feeling the need to evaluate every single option available.
Despite the economic uncertainty Eric says, “It’s almost like three years from the start of Covid; a lot of organizations have returned to work or at least to some sort of hybrid work environment. As dust settles with supply chains, things are sort of starting to get back to normal.“
Plus, organizations that were frozen in time trying to navigate the COVID-19 crisis now have come out for air, and Eric describes them as more laser-focused on catching up. “I think organizations are moving faster and with more of a sense of urgency now than I’ve ever seen in my career.”
