Leading Digital Transformation

With tools, techniques, and a robust understanding of our Digital Transformation Framework behind you, you will emerge ready to think far beyond technology.

During your time on this four-day course you will gain a holistic understanding of digital transformation. You will explore the role of strategy, people, and technology to assess the needs of your organisation for successful digital transformation.

Over the duration of this course, you will apply the Digital Transformation Framework, a multidimensional model used to understand the current stage of your organisation’s digital maturity, and the roadmap it can take for future development.

Firstly, you will have an introduction to theories of digital disruption helping to set the scene for the Digital Transformation Framework.

As a group, we will:

• Discuss shifts from physical to digital assets, vertically integrated supply chains to platform ecosystems and from customers-as-buyers to customers-as-users
• Examine the changing value orientation of digital first organisations from transaction-centric to engagement-centric where the key objective is to capture the end-to-end experience of customers
• Reflect on your organisation’s current digital maturity to identify development areas

You will then be introduced to the framework’s first dimension - Strategy - and its three layers of the business model, the data strategy, and the digital growth strategy, where you will:

• Work in groups to define strategies of case organisations to increase digital maturity
• Gain valuable insights and learnings from guest speakers

Next, we will explore the second dimension of the framework - People - and its three layers of digital mindset, digital career paths and digital innovation. Working closely within groups you will:

• Identify areas of the assigned case organisation that require improvements, people resources, skills, and capabilities
• Hear valuable industry insights from guest speakers

We will then move on to apply the third dimension of the framework - Technology - and its three layers of digital infrastructure, digital operational model, and customer and employee engagement. You will:

• Explore how the assigned case organisation can leverage emerging technologies to improve their digital maturity
• Drawing on the insights gained from working through the nine layers of the Digital Transformation Framework, groups will share a comprehensive strategy for digitally transforming your organisation

During the course, you will have a range of opportunities to get to know your class, including a course dinner which offers the chance to come together with a wider cohort of short-course learners to help expand your network.

Delivered at Alliance Manchester Business School’s Executive Education Centre, you will learn through theory-based, practical, and interactive teaching methods.

From collaborative group discussions and the exploration of real-world case studies to industry guest speaker lecturers, you will gain valuable insight and expertise about digital transformation from our world-renowned course team.

You will also work on a group project to develop a digital transformation strategy for a case organisation.

We aim for several stand-out learning experiences, including:

Applied Learning A learning environment created by the course facilitator that draws on the experience and input of your course peers.

Knowledge Transfer A steady stream of feedback from participating peers with diverse business backgrounds on, for instance, how they have implemented digital transformation within their organisation.

Reflection A rare time-out to contemplate your own digital transformation opportunities and challenges while engaging with our world-class faculty.

Network Expansion An expanding professional network drawn from your peers.

Personal Growth An expanding self-awareness of your own leadership competencies and how they can be honed.

Behavioural Change An adoption of new rationales and mindsets that improve strategic decision making.

Facilitated Challenge A regular raising of difficult real-world scenarios by the course facilitator designed to take you away from your work environment into new work-territory.

As part of this course, you will gain access to our comprehensive virtual learning environment before, during and after your time with us. Here, you will find course materials, including pre-work, slides, case studies, and recommended readings, all conveniently available to aid your learning.

At the end of the course, you continue to have access to this online learning area and the University of Manchester online library for up to one year, supporting you to embed your new toolkit of skills and knowledge back into your workplace.

• Develop a robust, practical understanding of the Digital Transformation Framework
• Expand your capabilities to lead a cultural shift towards digital transformation
• Increase your confidence and agility in identifying digital opportunities
• Become a member of the AMBS Executive Education Network and benefit from top-class speaker events, regular updates and networking opportunities with like-minded professionals
• Gain expert insights through real-world case studies and industry speakers

• Apply your learnings to transform your organisation’s digital strategy and strengthen competitiveness
• Embed a digital mindset into your organisation to achieve a collaborative culture towards transformation
• Strengthen your understanding of customer needs in the digital era to optimise business performance
• Support your team to scale digital innovations to implement real impact across your company
• Use critical thinking tools to identify challenges and mitigate risk within your organisation

If you are a strategic business leader looking to develop your organisation’s digital maturity and solve business wide issues, this is the right course for you.

Whether you come from a large well-established business, a small start-up or even a business that is already considered to have a digital-first stance, this course will help you transform your organisation’s capabilities and accelerate its digital maturity, regardless of sector or size.

Past delegates include:

• Steve Nettlemill, General Manager, Firefly Holidays: Hear Steve's experience >>
• Noman Sajjad, Mobility GIS Specialist, Neom Saudi Arabia: Hear Noman's experience >>

Professor Panos Constantinides is a Professor of Digital Innovation and Digital Learning Lead for Executive Education at Alliance Manchester Business School and a fellow of the Cambridge Digital Innovation Centre.

Through many years of research focussing on the transformative potential of digital technology, he has built an impressive career concentrating on digital infrastructures and platforms.

This course builds on the collective knowledge and expertise of Professor Constantinides’ academic and industry network which you will have opportunities to interact with by attending this course.

Co-delivering this course alongside Panos will be Dr Ali Owrak, Professor of Digital Transformation at Alliance Manchester Business School.

Ali's dedication to fostering teaching excellence and driving curriculum innovation has been recognised through receiving over 20 teaching award nominations and wins, including winning the University Teaching Excellence award 2022, and the Faculty of Humanities Outstanding Teacher of the Year award 2023.

During this course, we will be joined by a number of guest speakers who will share their industry knowledge and expertise, including:

• David Gentle, Global Head of Corporate Content at Fujitsu
• John Davies, Chief Digital Officer at Smart City Consultancy
• Vlad Jiman, Director of Data at N Brown
• Simon Hayward, Managing Director at Accenture
• John Hudson, Chief Technology Officer at Manchester Airports Group

Upon successful completion of this short business course, participants will be awarded the Manchester Professional Certificate in Leading Digital Transformation.

You will also receive a digital Manchester Professional Certificate in Leading Digital Transformation from Accredible, an online certificate and badge which can be displayed on LinkedIn profiles.

You can choose to curate your own curriculum by attending any four courses from our extensive portfolio. On completion of the four courses of your choice, you will be awarded the Manchester Professional Diploma in Leadership.

As part of the professional diploma, you will receive three executive coaching sessions.

These sessions will help you to apply your continued learning directly into your organisation, identify the specific skills needed to enhance your leadership capabilities, and align your professional development goals with the wider goals of your organisation.

If you are successfully accepted on to the Global MBA within five years of completion of the course, you will receive exemption from one elective. Your attendance on the course must be mentioned at the time of application. For further details, please do contact us.

If you choose to stay in Manchester during your time on one of our short business courses, you can benefit from preferential rates at the Hyatt Hotel, a modern and elegant hotel located at the heart of our campus and adjoining the Executive Education centre.

Learn more about the Hyatt Hotel >>

View frequently asked questions about our short business courses here >>