Consulting: Digital ROI | UNITY Consulting & Innovation

Company growth - fueled by digital products

Digital ROI

What value do your digital products contribute towards your corporate goals? Do you have the answer yet? Two thirds of CEOs don’t, according to our most recent research, “Unlocking Digital ROI – Benchmark Study” from 2023.

We measure and grow your Digital ROI across departments and hierarchies, connecting your core business to your digital future.

In today's business landscape, value generation enabled by digital is at the heart of every sustainable company’s growth strategy. But reality looks different – the DIGITAL ROI GAP is slowing the willingness of company leaders to make investments, inhibiting the transformation efforts of those responsible for business and diminishing the passion of digital experts.

Regardless whether the topic is standalone digital products, software embedded products, or digitally enabled products. It is about leveraging new technologies such as AI, advanced sensors or robotics, based on relevant use cases such as remote services, automation, or data-based sustainability use cases, and thus achieve a measurable increase in performance.

1. What is my Digital ROI?

According to the same research, a positive Digital ROI and digital revenues are important for business growth for 98 % of the German B2B companies interviewed. Based on our experience, most companies do not have a clear view of which products drive their Digital ROI and how.

2. What drives my Digital ROI?

Our survey results show that only 25 % of companies have yet achieved a positive ROI on their customer-facing, software-based products and the pressure on product teams and software department is growing.

3. What are the success factors of YOUR Digital ROI?

Embedding digital products into the organization is the key challenge to success. Our experience in strategy consulting has proven that the main success drivers to grow your digital ROI are clear value cases for digital products, digital skills and willingness through the value chain, enablers and enforcements to transform and work cross-silo as well as a product-centric IT organization.

Digital ROI – Success factors and barriers

Embedding digital products and digital value chains into the organization is the most critital barrier to scaling digital products and increasing the Digital ROI.

Based on our more than 25 years of experience in digital consulting and the ownership of more than 50 digital start-ups as part of the UNITY Innovation Alliance, we have identified 12 success factors around 4 typical success barriers, which are:

No clear, aligned value cases in place
Lack of digital skills & willingness through the value chain and through the entire organization
Missing enablers & enforcements to work cross-silo
No product-centric operating models for IT

Consulting services to increase your Digital ROI

As-is assessment

Your challenge:

Missing clarity & transparency leading to poor strategic decision making and low investment efficacy

Your benefits:

Transparency on current state of Digital ROI and organizational readiness
Baseline for strategy
Common understanding
Robust decision-making basis for portfolio adjustment and programme setup

UNITY solution approach:

Product portfolio assesment:

Define digital product archetypes
Inventory check for digital products
Review of business cases, history and outlook

Organizational skills assesment:

Identify scaling barriers via interviews with product teams, finance, sales and leadership
Evaluation of identified barriers based on best practices

Set target state

Your challenge:

No clear vision connecting digital to corporate growth leading to disconnected initiatives

Your benefits:

Revision of the as-is portfolio incl. exit recommendations
Business case guideline and KPI library
Business model & go-to-market blueprints
Digital Company vision and strategy as north star for the corporate transformation

UNITY solution approach:

Company perspective: Define role of digital products for company and value contributions to corporate goals
Market perspective: Identify, evaluate and prioritize value pools considering own strengths and competitor positionings
Define portfolio strategy and stage gate process
Define perfect match of product market fit, business model fit and go to market processes

Gap analysis & prioritization of measures

Your challenge:

No clear way forward (roadmap) leading to missing priorities

Your benefits:

Digital ROI readiness blueprint (capability map)
Roadmap incl. milestones, priorities and scenarios
Quick wins realization

UNITY solution approach:

Definition of 'to be' capabilities based on the portfolio strategy and current barriers
Assessment, prioritization and allocation of capabilities with outside-in perspective
Identification of structural gaps and measures around processes, governance and roles

Solution implementation

Your challenge:

Siloed initiatives leading to inefficiencies not leveraging synergies

Your benefits:

Initial and continuous cost reduction
Continuous increase in turnover
Robust investment planning and controlIing
Introduction of standards
Acceleration of learning cycles

UNITY solution approach:

Setup of a program architecture and a program governance
Definition of cross-functional teams and project charters & obligations
Identification of project interfaces and collaboration models
Setup & steer projects
Realize quick wins
Involve top management

Request now: We measure and increase your digital ROI!

Digital ROI Check Light

Future Business

1-2 Weeks

Workshop-based identification of approaches to measure your digital ROI and determine specific potentials for improvement.

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Digital ROI Check Advanced

Future Business

1 Month

Analysis of digital products; determine your maturity level using a target operating model approach and derive relevant capabilities.

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Digital ROI Check Premium

Future Business

2-3 Months

Analyze digital products; determine the maturity level and derive capabilities, including location determination; define the individual roadmap.

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What customers say about Digital ROI with UNITY

“Usually, consultancies enter your office with a pre-defined solution. UNITY didn´t. We built a trust-based relationship with a 10+ person team from day one. We didn´t feel like a supplier and client, but as one team working towards a common goal, achieving the most tangible, actionable results. Their sweet spot is definitely putting transformational theories into practice, with energy, excitement and ROI impact!”

Jérémie Eblé

Head of Life Science DiCE (Digital Center of Excellence)

Merck Group

“Thanks to the outstanding support of the UNITY team, we have implemented the 'Digital Governance Body', a highly empowered panel to steer the digital transformation across the group. In addition, the Digital Solutions Labs provide a playground for developing disruptive ideas.”

Dr. Karsten Malsch

Program Lead Digital

Covestro Deutschland AG

“What needs to be done to scale our Digital ROI on speed? This was my initial question and UNITY overdelivered on it. Providing ONE common language to discuss targets & strategy, best-practices to speed up our capability-based organization planning and most importantly a digital, collaborative, end-to-end mindset to connect the new unit with the organization.”

Norman Trapp

Head of BPS Digital Solutions

Sartorius AG

We lead projects to success! More than 1,500 client projects – from renowned SMEs to global players. Read more project stories from different industry sectors here.

Project stories Digital ROI

Digital Accelerator – Design of a Shared Service Unit

Speeding up time to digital product success & Digital ROI
Certainty concerning organizational capability gaps
Consistent portfolio steering mechanism
Value proposition and business case for shared service unit
Read more
Implementing Group-wide Digital Governance

Establishment and Integration of a consistent Organization and Process Landscape
Steering digital initiatives holistically
Consistent coordination in IT and business areas
Strength and agility for digital transformation
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Growing Digital ROI

Capability-based planning for digital solution unit ramp up
Clear link between digital strategy, digital portfolio on organization design
Cross functional alliance building to set up and run digital products
Shared way forward based on business case focussing capability building and go to market push
Read more

Digital ROI Insights

Interesting topics relating to Digital ROI

Your benefits

We grow your Digital ROI across departments and hierarchies, connecting your legacy business to your digital future.

Robust decision making

Portfolio transparency
Organizational transparency
Actionable results

Neutral, comprehensive perspective

Silo independence
No white spots
End-to-end processes

Acceleration

Industry standards
Entrepreneurial experience of founding > 50 start-ups
Outside-in view

FAQ Digital ROI

What is Digital ROI?

Digital ROI refers to the return on investment generated by digital products and digital product elements together with analog products.
Why is Digital ROI so important?

Measuring Digital ROI is important for companies to ensure that their digital investments are generating a positive return and contributing to business goals.
How can companies measure their Digital ROI?

Digital ROI can be measured using various metrics such as direct revenue, indirect revenues (e.g. cross sales, pull through sales, up sales). Companies should establish relevant KPIs and continuously monitor and adjust their digital initiatives to achieve a positive Digital ROI.
What challenges do companies face in measuring digital ROI?

Some challenges companies face when measuring Digital ROI include defining other value contributions beyond direct revenue recognition, establishing relevant KPIs, and ensuring accurate data collection and analysis.
How can companies improve their digital ROI?

Companies can improve their Digital ROI by developing a clear digital strategy that aligns with their business goals, establishing a governance structure that defines roles and responsibilities for digital initiatives, and investing in talent development and innovation.
What are the best practices to achieve a positive Digital ROI?

Best practices for achieving a positive Digital ROI include prioritizing customer-centric software development, leveraging both legacy sales organizations and dedicated digital sales resources, investing in talent development and innovation, and continuously monitoring and adjusting digital initiatives to achieve a positive ROI.