Customisation Isn’t the Silver Bullet for Digital Transformation in Healthcare

High configurability can seem like a great solution when embarking on a digital transformation, offering flexibility and adaptability. But over-relying on it can lead to long-term challenges:

- It can enable minor variations in processes that should be standardised. Customisation should be for the 20% of your unique needs, not the 80% that can be streamlined.
- It doesn’t fix inefficiencies in your current workflows—it just digitises them.
- Organisations often face tech debt because they don’t train internal teams to manage and adapt custom configurations, leaving legacy processes that are hard to fix later.

As a result, many customers miss out on the full benefits of their technology.

The Solution?

- Start by standardising 80% of your workflows. Customise the remaining 20% where flexibility is truly needed.
- Think about your audit needs and data-driven decision-making before designing your service.
- Train someone internally who understands the configuration both on the surface and under-the-hood, ensuring they grasp the workflow and service design principles.
- Begin with minimal customisation, then iterate and test its value as you grow.

By focusing on standardisation first, you’ll build a more resilient foundation for your digital transformation.

Read my insight post on LinkedIn.