Digital is the new universe! Digital disruption is forcing organisations to look at their business model(s). Changes to the business model means changes to the shape of the workforce. It is mission-critical to anticipate how changing strategies and business models will alter an organisation’s workforce requirements. 

Hence the imperative is to adopt a more strategic approach to workforce management. Previously many organisations have been delusional about their workforce strategy claims for managing their most vital intangible asset (i.e., their people) and largest driver of business success. However digital disruption has now emerged as the external catalyst for a new emphasis on Strategic Workforce Planning and transforming from the current legacy workforce to the new workforce configuration.

We have identified 9 key steps in this transformation. These steps include:

• Analysis and mapping of the legacy (existing) workforce (including ‘Make’, ‘Buy’ and ‘Critical’ Roles);

• Analysis and mapping of the proposed workforce (including ‘Make’, ‘Buy’ and ‘Critical’ Roles).

Then superimposing the two maps to determine and cost the following:

• The number of roles that will remain the same;

• The number of new digital roles to be recruited for;

• The number of new non-digital roles to be recruited for;

• The number of roles that will become obsolete;

• The number of roles that may be outsourced.

The previous backroom roles of CIO and HR Director/Manager become front and centre in such a digital workforce transformation.