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Marc K. Peter and Johan P. Lindeque

Strategic Digital Transformation: Theory & Practice

www.strategic-digital-transformation.com

The new textbook «Strategic Digital Transformation» provides future managers with a learning experience rooted in academic knowledge, while allowing familiarity with a comprehensive practice-oriented digital transformation methodology, supported with validated tools, for digitally transforming an organisation for strategic success.

© World Economic Forum/Pascal Bitz

«I am confident that the insights and strategies presented in this textbook will provide valuable guidance for young leaders and innovators seeking to thrive in the digital era.»

Alois Zwinggi
Managing Director, World Economic Forum (WEF)

The new textbook «Strategic Digital Transformation»

This digital transformation textbook provides students with a learning experience that is academically rigorous, integrating insights from the latest research on the strategic digital transformation of organisations, while supporting the practical application of this knowledge with the ACT (Analyse, Create, Transform) method and the Digital Transformation Toolkit. The ACT method and toolkit are the results of the multi-year and ongoing digital transformation research agenda.

The textbook and its Digital Transformation Toolkit supports students and future managers in understanding the practical realisation of digital transformation of organisations to allow the development of competitive advantages for the digital age, while enabling this to be done in a manner that reflects a sustainable approach.

In 12 chapters, students are provided with contemporary knowledge about and understanding of strategic digital transformation of organisations across seven distinct strategic action fields (SAF) of digital transformation, while developing their capability to address real world business challenges through the application of the digital toolkit.

The textbook’s structure supports this integration of academic rigour and practical relevance to enable an approach to teaching strategic digital transformation that is unique and prepares students for using the knowledge and experience they will acquire in their future careers.

What is Strategic Digital Transformation?

Strategic digital transformation is the holistic, long-term process of organisational renewal that integrates digital technologies into all areas of a firm’s operations, business models, and value creation activities to ensure competitiveness in the digital age. It goes beyond mere digitalisation efforts (automation and optimisation of processes) by fundamentally reconfiguring organisational structures, culture, and capabilities to leverage digital technologies for sustained strategic advantage. This process encompasses both external dimensions (the strategic action fields (SAF) of customer centricity, new strategies and business models, and digital marketing) and internal dimensions (the strategic action fields (SAF) of new digital technologies, data and the cloud, operational excellence / process management, and digital leadership and culture) to adapt to rapidly changing technological and market conditions.

Key characteristics include:

  • Strategic orientation: Focus on long-term competitiveness rather than short-term operational efficiency.
  • Holistic scope: Impacts all organisational functions and external relationships across the seven strategic action fields of digital transformation (SAF).
  • Integration of digital technologies: Enables new business models, customer-centric strategies, and innovative value propositions.
  • Dynamic capability development: Facilitates continuous adaptation and resource reconfiguration in response to environmental changes.
  • Cultural and structural transformation: Aligns leadership, teams, workforce skills, and organisational culture with digital opportunities.
Sources: Based on Bharadwaj et al. (2013), Menz et al. (2021), Peter et al. (2020), Verhoef et al. (2021), Vial (2019), Warner & Wäger (2019)

Table of Contents

The new textbook «Strategic Digital Transformation» is structured as follow:

PART 1: FOUNDATIONS OF STRATEGIC DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Chapter 01 Strategic Digital Transformation: Background and Terminology
Chapter 02 Business Strategy in the Digital Age
Chapter 03 Digital Transformation in Context: Innovation and Sustainability

PART 2: STRATEGIC ACTION FIELDS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Chapter 04 Customer Centricity
Chapter 05 New Technologies (with focus topics AI and Cybersecurity)
Chapter 06 Data and the Cloud
Chapter 07 New Strategies and Business Models
Chapter 08 Operational Excellence / Process Management
Chapter 09 Digital Leadership and Culture
Chapter 10 Digital Marketing

PART 3: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN PRACTICE: THE ANALYSE – CREATE – TRANSFORM (ACT) METHOD

Chapter 11 Success Factors and Metrics for Digital Transformation Implementation
Chapter 12 Transformation in Practice – Digital Transformation Toolkit

PART 4: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION CASE STUDIES

Various case studies from across the globe, covering both commercial and government organisations.

Digital Toolkit

Free download of the digital transformation toolkit with workshop canvas, checklist, roadmap template and the new AI strategy framework.

Case Studies

Access digital business case studies from various industries, linking to the seven strategic action fields of digital transformation.

Videos

Enrich your students’ learning experience with videos explaining concepts, methods and tools for digital transformation.

Podcasts

Summaries of all book chapters as conversational podcasts prior to class to review essential terms and concepts.

Slide Decks

Access the slides for all 12 book chapters to prepare for your class, covering terms, case studies, concepts and group works.

Digital Technology Radar

Access the collection of technology fact sheets with the key concepts and links to online resources.
Summary
The new textbook «Strategic Digital Transformation»
Article Name
The new textbook «Strategic Digital Transformation»
Description
Strategic digital transformation is the holistic, long-term process of organisational renewal that integrates digital technologies into all areas of a firm’s operations, business models, and value creation activities to ensure competitiveness in the digital age. It goes beyond mere digitalisation efforts (automation and optimisation of processes) by fundamentally reconfiguring organisational structures, culture, and capabilities to leverage digital technologies for sustained strategic advantage. This process encompasses both external dimensions (the strategic action fields (SAF) of customer centricity, new strategies and business models, and digital marketing) and internal dimensions (the strategic action fields (SAF) of new digital technologies, data and the cloud, operational excellence / process management, and digital leadership and culture) to adapt to rapidly changing technological and market conditions.
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