T. A.

PAI MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (TAPMI), MANIPAL

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Programme: PGDM
Batch: 2020-2022
Term: 4
Course Name: Digital Transformation – ITS 6007
Credits: 2 (20 Hours)
Course Instructors: Prof. Mani Venkatesh (Visiting)

PART 1
INTRODUCTION  

The course on Digital transformation focuses on corporates digital transformation efforts and
sustainable benefits achieved therein. Thus, the course attempts to explore the different digital
transformation strategies of firms and how does such efforts lead to competitive advantage for
the organisation?

Digital Transformation (DT) is “the use of technology to radically improve performance of

enterprises” (Source: Digital Transformation, A Road-Map for Billion-Dollar Organizations,
Capgemini Consulting, 2011), which is becoming a hot topic for companies across the globe.
Technological advancements have created opportunities that were not around a decade ago and
the expectation is that new developments will arise faster than ever. Digital transformation is
creating new business models, changing value streams, and provoking faster, more disruptive
change than ever before. Why? Because it is digital. The rapid emergence of enabling technology
and a higher value-add content in transactional processes will continue to radically change the
face of improvement. This calls for the need to blend continuous improvement methods with
nowadays ‘digital enablers’.

The focus of this course entitled “Digital Transformation” will be to examine the extent to which
successful companies are benefitting from Digital transformation efforts as well as ‘better
performance” resulting in sustainability advantage and customer experience. This course aims at
drawing a convincing picture of each of these digital transformation approaches to help
companies become more sustainable
Throughout this course, you will be asked to analyze digital transformation initiatives through
real world situations, activities and to understand associated challenges and management
insights. In order to do so, this course relies on business case discussions, readings, class room
activities and speaker presentations. These will help you make sense of the complexity, benefits
and interrelations among different domains of digital transformation and further, helps to
understand the problems and complexity faced by practitioners.

Course learning goals

This course is primarily designed for the MS4.1. Learning Goal (LG), namely: “Conceive, propose
and enhance the value of innovative solutions” and “conceive and assess an overall responsibility
approach”(MS3.3)

MS4.1. Conceive, propose and enhance the value of innovative solutions. At the end of this
course, you should be able to come up with creative solutions or new ideas regarding issues
faced in the area of digital transformation. Also, you should be able to demonstrate the
innovative dimensions of propositions you come up with. The goal of this course is to expose
students to key frameworks and concepts from a general management perspective. At the
conclusion of this course, you should understand digital transformation is primarily a
management discipline that is strategically important for survival in today's more competitive
environment.

This course is also intended to achieve the three subsequent secondary learning goals belonging
to Problem solving and critical thinking Learning Goal, namely: MS2.2 “Collect and evaluate the
necessary information for cross-sectional analysis in a specific context”, and MS2.3. “Evaluate,
choose and justify a solution.” At the end of the course, you should be capable of in-depth,
logical reflection and demonstrate critical reasoning in order to offer the most adapted response
to issues to be faced in the real-world.

MS2.2. Collect and evaluate the necessary information for cross-sectional analysis in a specific
context. You will be able to identify appropriate pieces of information in order to initiate the
process of problem solving. In addition, you will be able to process this information through the
use of appropriate tools. At the end of this course, you will build critical reading skills, which will
allow you to distinguish between useful and useless information in order to investigate/solve a
problem in the real world. On a regular basis, you will need to formulate feasible hypotheses
about needed information throughout the decision making process. Furthermore, you will
develop critical thinking skills, which will allow you to process effectively and efficiently the
information and data necessary to solve operations and supply chain management issues. This
set of skills (i.e., critical reading) will be assessed throughout regular assessment milestones (i.e.,
class participation, ‘question of the session’, and final examination which includes a case
discussion).
MS2.3. Evaluate, choose and justify a solution. You will be able to formulate and test
hypotheses associated with issues identified in the real world. You are expected to come up with
appropriate alternatives and/or options in order to solve such issues. This ability to formulate
and test hypotheses will be the outcome of the decision-making process systematically applied
during business case discussions. Your ability to formulate and test hypotheses in the area of
digital transformation will be assessed through multiple channels (e.g., class participation,
‘question of the session’, and final examination which includes a case discussion). You will
develop critical thinking skills, which will allow you to process effectively and efficiently the
information and data necessary to solve operations and supply chain management issues. At the
conclusion of this course, you will be able to select systematically your favorite solution(s) -
amongst a list of alternatives/options - to issues experienced in the real world. With a view to
develop these skills, class time will be devoted to discussing the situation, the managerial and
technical implications of various alternatives/options, and actions to be taken to implement
preferred solutions amongst the list of alternatives/options previously identified during business
case discussions. There is no right solution(s) to management issues, but there are definitely
approaches which identifies favorite solutions based on involved tradeoffs. Your ability to rely on
these systematic approaches will be assessed at various milestones throughout the course (i.e.,
class participation, ‘question of the session’, and final exam which includes a case discussion).

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLO):

CLO 1 : Understand the core principles of digital transformation(PLG 1)

CLO 2 : Evaluate how digital transformation approaches can be used to achieve
competitive advantage (PLG 2)

CLO 3 : Classify digital transformation implementation issues across a wide spectrum of

industries(PLG 3)
CLO 4 : Understand how market leaders leverage digital transformation to stay
competitive in market place (PLG 3)

CLO 5 : Assess the extent to which digital transformation creates new business models,
changes value streams, and provokes faster, more disruptive change than ever.
(PLG 3)

COURSE CONTENT
For each and every specific competencies previously exposed, this course relies on the following
pedagogical activities, assessment procedures and expected results:

1. Understand the core principles of digital transformation.Pedagogical activities: in-class

lecture(s), business case discussion(s). Assessment procedures: class participation,
‘Question of the session’, final exam. Expected results: students’ ability to apply concepts
of digital transformation to real-world situations.
 2. Evaluate how digital transformation approaches can be used to achieve competitive
advantage. Pedagogical activities: in-class lecture(s), business case discussion(s).
Assessment procedures: class participation, ‘Question of the session’, final exam.
Expected results: students’ ability to devise and apply digital transformation programs to
achieve competitive advantage.
3. Classify digital transformation implementation issues across a wide spectrum of
industries. Pedagogical activities: in-class lecture(s), business case discussion(s).
Assessment procedures: class participation, ‘Question of the session’, final exam.
Expected results: students’ ability to identify and understand implementation issues in
the field of digital transformation.
4. Understand how market leaders leverage ‘digital transformation’ to stay competitive in
market place.Pedagogical activities: E-learning, business case discussion(s). Assessment
procedures: class participation, ‘question of the session’, final exam. Expected results:
students’ ability to understand key principles that leaders employ to ensure that their
organizations perform better than anybody else’s through digital transformation.
5. Assess the extent to which digital transformation creates new business models, changes
value streams, and provokes faster, more disruptive change than ever. Pedagogical
activities: in-class lecture(s), business case discussion(s). Assessment procedures: class
participation, ‘question of the session’, final examination. Expected results: students’
ability to be an active contributor to digital transformation efforts.

PRESCRIBED TEXTBOOK

There is no prescribed textbook for the course. However, the following e-books can be referred
 Driving digital strategy: A guide to reimagining your business by Sunil Gupta. Harvard
Business Review Press(2018)
 The digital transformation play book by David L. Rogers. Colombia Business School
Publishing(2016)

OTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES

 E-learning materials posted on the Moodle platform (i.e., key readings, websites, searches
on Internet).
 Package of business cases (i.e., Harvard Business School cases, published articles,
research papers) posted on the Moodle platform.

Teaching Approach / Instructional Methods

Business case discussions. The primary method of instruction will be the analysis and discussion
of case studies. This requires active student participation. Each case presents a situation in which
a decision must be made in light of a number of tradeoffs and alternatives. Class time will be
devoted to discussing the situation, the managerial and technical implications of various options,
and action to be taken to implement preferred options. There is no right answer to a case but
there are definitely approaches that address the issues and recognize the tradeoffs involved.

You will find the business cases on the Moodle platform that you will need to read in preparation
of designated sessions. Please read cases in advance and bring hardcopies with you to the
‘meeting room’. The class discussion will be rich and meaningful to the extent that everyone
comes prepared to participate. Please be prepared to support your point of view with
observations and details from each case.

For each of the case/discussion sessions, you have been assigned some "Questions for
Consideration." These are for guidance only, to help you focus on certain aspects of the
materials. For each case, you should be prepared, at a minimum, to address each question in
class. Each case discussion will normally follow a sequence of:

1. Issues
2. Decision criteria
3. Discussion / Analysis
4. Plan of Action
Overall, putting yourself in the position of the decision maker, the main purpose of a
case/discussion session is to determine what should be done and why. In other words, as the
decision maker, how do you plan to resolve the situation?

Assignments

Continuous assessment (Class participation and assignments)

Class participation is very important. I expect you to actively participate in advancing the learning
of the class. Participation means making a useful contribution in a fair number of sessions.
Generally, you may choose your moments. However, on a given session, I may call on you for
your contribution or I may include your name in a list of people from whom I expect to hear. In
general, a useful contribution helps push the understanding of the class forward. Examples
include, but are not limited to, being involved in a discussion of assigned material, arguing your
point of view during a case discussion, asking a relevant question, suggesting an alternate
viewpoint, redirecting our attention to something else in need of discussion, or being actively
involved in in-class exercises and other activities. You do not have to be a top participant in each
session, nor do you have to have the "right answer."

On those very rare occasions when you are unprepared for a session and do not wish to be
included in the discussion, please let me know in advance (voicemail or e-mail), but please
attend. As well, please let me know if you plan to be absent. You do not have to explain; I will
simply expect more from you later.
I judge participation for each session on a scale of 0 to 4, where 4 indicates an extensive
contribution and 0 indicates no contribution. A regular contribution, such as building on points
made by others, is worth 1. At the end of the course, I will determine overall participation by
assigning grades to the best and worst participators and scaling others accordingly. Note: This
makes it possible for everyone to do well in participation.

I will also ask systematically ‘questions of the session’. During this quick systematic assessment
(six minutes sharp) which takes place close to the end of each session, I am going to ask a
question associated with the topic of the session. You will have to answer this question on a very
limited space (two or three sentences max), and I will take into into account your answers as
participation indicators.

Additionally, you will be asked to carry out session specific assignments. This is to to test your
knowledge and skills that you acquire in the classroom, and your ability to solve the real time
problems by creating appropriate solutions. This assignment will be carried out by groups and all
the group members will be required to partcipate in the assignments and submissions. All the
group members will be equally awarded based on their group performance in the given
assignments.

Final examination
The final examination will be designed to test your knowledge of the assigned readings and
business cases. The exam will consist of reasonably open-questions (e.g., case scenario, long
answer, short answer), designed to allow you to demonstrate what you know, rather than
feeding back memorized facts. I will not be directly testing details of the cases we discuss in class,
but I will assume you have a basic understanding of each case.

Academic fraud
Academic fraud is an act by a student, which may result in a false academic evaluation of that
student or of another student. Without limiting the generality of this definition, academic fraud
occurs when a student commits any of the following offences:

- Commits plagiarism or cheating of any kind.

- Submits a work of which the student is not the author, in whole or in part (except for duly cited
quotations or references). Such work may include an academic paper, an essay, a test, an exam,
a research report, and a thesis, whether written, oral, or in another form.

- Presents research data, which has been falsified or concocted in any way.

- Attributes a purported statement of fact or reference to a source which has been concocted.

- Submits the same piece of work or a significant part thereof for more than one course, or a
thesis or other work which has already been submitted elsewhere, without written authorization
of the professors concerned and/or of the academic unit concerned.
 - Falsifies an academic evaluation, misrepresents an academic evaluation, uses a forged or
falsified academic record or supporting document, or facilitates the use of a falsified academic
record or supporting document.

- Undertakes any other action for the purpose of falsifying an academic evaluation.

ASSESSMENT SCHEME AND WEIGHTAGE:

{a} END-TERM

Open / Close
Evaluation Weightage (%) Duration (Minutes) CLO Tested
Book
End Term 60 120 Closed book CLO 4

{b} OTHER ASSESSMENTS

Evaluation Unit of
Sl No. Weightage Time CLO
type Evaluation
Throughou
Class
1 Group/Individual 10% t the -
Participation
course
After
CLO 1 & CLO
2 Assignments Individual 30% 2nd/3rd/5th
2
Session

PART 2: SESSION PLAN

Additional
Session Topic Pedagogy Reading &
References*
Overview of digital transformation: Five Face to See assignment on
pillars of digital transformation: face/Online Moodle
1-2 customers, competitors, data, teaching
innovation and value
Amazon.com -HBR case
Customer networks strategy: How to Face to See assignment on
harness customer networks? Business face/Online Moodle
3-4 Case discussion: Rewiring the enterprise teaching
for digital innovation: The case of DBS
Bank
Five customer network behavour. The Face to See assignment on
5-6 customer network strategy generator face/Online Moodle
teaching
 Additional
Session Topic Pedagogy Reading &
References*
Competition: Building platforms, not just Face to See assignment on
7-8 products face/Online Moodle
Business case discussion: The master teaching
card case
Platform business model map. Face to See assignment on
9 - 10 Competitive value train face/Online Moodle
teaching
Turning data into asset: Building & Face to See assignment on
harvesting data for business face/Online Moodle
11 - 12 Business case: UCB-Data is the new drug teaching

Different templates of customer data Face to See assignment on

13 - 14 value generator. Date value generator face/Online Moodle
exercise teaching
Innovation through rapid Face to Seee assignment on
15 - 16 experimentation face/Online Moodle
teaching
Value proposition in digital era Face to See assignment on
17 - 18 Business case discussion: Accor hotels Vs face/Online Moodle
Air BNB teaching
Mastering disruptive business models Face to See assignment on
19 - 20 face/Online Moodle
teaching
 PLG MAPPING FOR THE COURSE

Addressed CLO
PLG# Program Level Learning Goal by Course? No.
(Yes / No)
Application of Fundamentals
PLG1 Traits: Demonstrate application of functional / conceptual Yes CLO 1
knowledge to business situations

Problem Identification and Solution

PLG2 Traits:Demonstrate ability to identify a problem, critically assess Yes CLO 2
various alternatives and suggest appropriate solution

Integrative Thinking CLO3

PLG3 Traits:Demonstrate ability to identify inter-linkages among Yes CLO4

functional areas within an enterprise and assess the impact of
external environment on its performance CLO5

Effective Communication
PLG4 Traits:Demonstrate proficiency in Oral and Written No NA
Communication

Ethical Responsibility
PLG5 Traits:Demonstrate awareness and assess impact of ethical No NA
behavior on business

Leadership
PLG6 Traits:Demonstrate capability to take leadership role in a business No NA
situation

*please see course specific competencies in page no 3

PART 3: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

 Supplementary readings posted on the Moodle platform(cases/research papers/ policy
documents)

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