Digital Value Creation

The starting point and fundament of this work is the initial Digital Value Creation study. Within this qualitative examination, on the basis of interviews with experts of the digital transformation, a total of 22 digitisation initiatives, aiming at value creation, were identified. These were then logically clustered into a framework with four categories, namely “Digital Business Models”, “Digital Business Operations”, “Digital Marketing & Sales Strategy” and “Digital Mindset”. The research task of this work was now to evaluate these digitisation initiatives in terms of the two parameters of value creation potential and degree of maturity. In order to obtain relevant points of view, an online survey, based on a quantitative methodology, was conducted among Chief Digital Officers of companies of the German-speaking area. As a result, 50 participants answered the questionnaire, which asked them to evaluate the value creation potential and maturity level of each digitisation initiative within a five-point scale. Although Digital Business Operations had the highest value creation potential, respondents consistently expected a strong value contribution from the four categories. That can also be seen as an indicator of the relevance and correctness of the identified initiatives. Whereas the degree of maturity was rated for each category with a noticeably lower score, marking a clear need to catch up. Enriched with the quantified value creation potential and maturity information, the framework now optimizes predictability and supports the management in prioritization by allowing to bring forward such initiatives that promise a higher value contribution.