The digital strategy should set out what you will deliver, as well as why and how. That said, a digital strategy can't be a comprehensive delivery plan. It should provide direction over detail.
A good middle ground is to make some clear commitments that will build confidence in your strategy. Equally, breaking those commitments is a sure fire way to diminish confidence.
Good commitments are:
- Tangible
Commitments should be specific and meaningful to everyone. Don’t set vague aspirations or use insider jargon. - Measurable
How will we know when you've succeeded? What will change for your users? What impact will it have on your KPIs? Public Health England has set out a clear matrix for how they will measure success of their digital strategy. - Outcome focused
Don't tie yourself to specific solutions or technologies until you've proven this is the right approach. Instead, focus on the outcome you want to achieve. Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust set out a clear plan focused on outcomes in their digital strategy. - Realistic
Don't overcommit. Set realistic goals as steps towards your mission. - Time bound
Digital transformation is hard, and so is forecasting when things will be delivered. However, it's important to set down milestones to aim towards. - Limited in number
Don't make too many commitments. Keep it to a short, meaningful list that your teams and stakeholders can comprehend and buy into.
Further reading
Roadmaps can be an invaluable tool in communicating your digital priorities. For further advices on developing roadmaps see:
- 7 questions to build a roadmap by Jamie Arnold
- 10 tips on creating an agile product roadmap by Roman Pichler
- Effective product roadmaps by Melissa Perri