Different (digital) strokes for different folks
March 13, 2018
March 13, 2018
Digital disruption is a fact of life for all industries. As digital technologies redefine markets, customers and workforces, how do organizations adapt? Should they build, buy, ally or invest to pivot to digital?
Most CEOs are making significant commitments to digital. Accenture research however shows that in most instances, these digital investments are not translating to better financial performance, especially new business growth (Figure 1).1 Only 6 percent of companies studied were able to couple broad levels of digital investment with a broad level of business success, the companies we call the "Digital High Performers."2
Companies' digital maturity (DIPI) does not correspond with growth in revenue or EBITA over recent years
What separates "Digital High Performers" from the rest? One driver is their M&A strategy. Accenture Strategy research shows that when it comes to investing in digital technologies, most companies choose to acquire (49 percent), whereas 32 percent choose limited partner investment, 10 percent to form a partner alliance, 8 percent a joint venture and 1 percent other.3 Which is the correct choice?
Companies that have the most success in pivoting to digital don’t limit themselves to one strategy. They use a combination of acquisitions, alliances, and building in-house to make rapid progress, adapting to the situations they face.
There are five things to consider when deciding whether to build, buy, ally, or invest.
The interplay of these five considerations can be illustrated with the following scenarios:
Eighty-six percent of executives agree that to succeed in the digital era, companies must develop new M&A capabilities that help them choose from buying, partnering, investing, or incubating when implementing digital business models.4 "Going digital" does not guarantee success. To be successful, organizations must adopt the appropriate technology at the right time and using the right methodology.
1 Accenture Digital Performance: Time to Rotate to the New, 2016
2 Ibid
3 Accenture Strategy, M&A Research, 2017
4 Ibid