Based on our experience in business transformation programs, we have compiled a checklist with required activities for the preparation and execution of a transformation program. Any questions? Don't hesitate to contact us.

1. © Sauerborn Management Consulting GmbH
Oberdorfstrasse 17 – 5028 Ueken AG – Switzerland
Phone: +41 61 511 5161 – www.sauerborn.ch
7. Trainings of employees and business partners
7.1. Concept, mode and content of trainings defined (new business
processes, new products, new IT systems, new mode of com‐
munication), training dates planned close to rollout dates
Are you ready to start your company's digital transformation?
Double‐check with our proven checklist covering the top 10 relevant areas!
2. Future product and service portfolio
2.1. Future product and service portfolio defined (aligned to new
business model and new, digital technologies)
2.3. Products/services including production, logistics, and service
processes defined and ready for implementation
2.4. Migration path into new product portfolio defined; decomissio‐
ning of current products and customer contracts prepared
2.2. "Release planning" for step‐wise extension of business model
and products/services defined
3. Communication, branding, corporate identity/corporate design
3.1. Communication plan for customers, business partners, etc. de‐
fined (key messages, target segments, channels, timing, ...)
3.2 . New corporate identity and branding defined, need for changes
and updates in sites, stores, IT systems, paper forms, ... iden‐
tified
4. Personal development, cultural change, organizational design
4.2. Personal development plans defined; recruiting for new hires
initiated
4.1. Required skills and capacities derived; timing of recruiting ac‐
tivities derived from business plan
4.3. Need for cultural change identified; measures derived, change
management established
10. Management of transformation program and projects
1. Business model and strategy
6. Stakeholder management
6.1. Workers council involved; contracts with workers councils ne‐
gotiated (depending on specific labour laws in countries)
6.2. Internal departments for data protection, compliance, IT secu‐
rity, ... involved (for new T&Cs, service contracts, ...)
6.3. Legal services involved (for contract templates, check of busi‐
ness model and customer documents, ...)
5. Target business processes, IT, and technology landscape
5.6. Target IT architecture defined (systems, data structures, interfa‐
ces, ...); implementation projects aligned to target architecture
5.5. Lacks in quality of data identified, measures to improve data
quality defined, implementation started
5.3. Blueprint for future technical infrastructure defined (technical
standards, harmonized technical equipments, ...)
5.1. Overall process framework with relevant business processes
derived; needs for adaptations identified
5.2. Target business processes defined and documented on detailed
level, ready for implementation (very important design prin‐
ciple for new business processes: don't digitize current com‐
plexity in business model and processes, re‐design them!)
8. Test and pilot phase, preparation of going live
8.1. Functional and technical acceptance criteria for new IT sys‐
tems defined (for going live and commercial acceptance)
8.5. In case of large‐scale rollouts, test and pilot phases for rollout
defined and planned
9.1. Technical cut over plan for IT systems and data defined; mi‐
gration of IT systems and data planned
8.2. Test cases for system tests, integration tests, and performan‐
ce tests defined; tests planned
8.6. Concept for operations of technical infrastructure and IT systems
(inkl. SLAs) defined, contracts with service providers closed
8.3. User acceptenance tests (with employees, friendly
customers, ...) planned, test concept defined
1.1. Customer segments and go to market approach defined
1.2. Customer needs determined, value proposition derived, key
success factors identified
1.5. Overall consistent business plan with consistent planning para‐
meters compiled (preferably in scenarios) and widely accepted
1.4. Revenue sources and revenue models defined, cost structures
derived
10.3. Budget and resource needs (incl. reserves) derived, budgets
and resources available
10.6. Dependencies between individual transformation projects
identified, documented and controlled
10.7. Potential conflicts of interests in transformation projects
identified and preferably allocated to the steering committee
10.14. Communication of overall program and individual transforma‐
tion projects planned and initiated
10.12. Overall quality management defined and initiated
10.8. Overall plan of transformation program compiled, plans of in‐
dividual transformation projects aligned with overall plan
10.2. Steering committee for transformation program established
and staffed, steering committee meetings planned
10.1. Managerial positions (i.e. program manager) of transformation
program staffed with the right people/skills and ressources
10.9. Status reports of transformation projects and overall program
defined (templates, frequency) and initiated
10.11. Risks identified, mitigation measures defined and initiated
10.13. Overall management of implementation partners
(e.g., IT providers) ensured
1.3. Future depth of value creation defined, short list of potential
strategic partners compiled
8.4. Strategy for rollout incl. rollout processes defined
9.3. Rollout‐accompanying measures planned (e.g., additional re‐
sources for customer care, floor walker/red‐shirt‐teams for
employees, ...)
Version 1.2e
04.2016
1.6. Consistent business strategy defined on a sufficiently detailed
level, broadly communicated and widely accepted
10.5. Transformation projects planned on detailed level (objectives,
milestones, budget, and resource requirements)
10.4. Project management positions of individual transformation
projects staffed with the right people/skills
10.15. Overall program team (incl. steering committee members) ali‐
gned, committed to transformation goals, motivated for success
Strategic objectives and business plan defined
Completeness of implementation activities ensured
Management of transformation program ensured
9. Cut over, migration, rollout, and going live
9.5. Decommissioning/de‐installation of old technical infrastructure
and IT systems planned and initiated
9.4. In case of large‐scall rollout, key performance indicators for
rollout and logistic processes defined and regularely measured
9.2. Technical cut over plan aligned to business cut over plan (e.g.,
rebranding, customer communication, launch of new products)
Annotation: the order/numbering of areas and single check‐points does not correspond to the chronological orders of activities in
your specific transformation program. Some activities have interdependencies and need to be executed in an iterative way. De‐
pending on your specific transformation program, additional activities need to be added to this checklist.
10.10. Program scope and release management defined, change‐of‐
scope‐processes defined and initiated
5.4. Requirements from IT security compiled and taken into account
4.4. Requirements from digital transformation for new organizatio‐
nal setup derived, obsolete organizational silos identified
5.7. Detailed functional specs and technical concepts agreed