Cultivating Digital Transformation at Arcadis

(a) Situation faced: After a wake-up call by a digital native, over 130-year-old Arcadis decided that a digital transformation of the global firm offering design and consultancy in the construction industry would be necessary. Arcadis realized that its fragmented organization with different business lines, expertise areas and services for each region could not respond to changes in a turbulent environment with the same speed as a digital native. A deeply rooted organization culture would have to be disrupted, taking 27,000 Arcadians worldwide on a digital journey. (b) Action taken: Arcadis appointed a corporate digital team whose main aim was to lead an inclusive digital transformation. They took on the challenge to cultivate a common language for digital transformation and new skill sets. The centrepiece of their approach was Expedition DNA, a multitiered voluntary program that would build a foundation for involving all of the talents in the company. Alongside more technical skills development, the program, which was continuously evaluated and revised, provided people with new skill sets in their function. An internal communication plan ensured that the same common language was used consistently in all company efforts and appropriated by all digital ambassadors. (c) Results achieved: By November 2020, 2 years after the launch of the Expedition DNA program, 16,221 employees had taken the voluntary online training. By complementing Expedition DNA with other actions, and by constantly focusing on the same digital transformation tenets, Arcadis managed to spread a common language throughout the company for discussing digital transformation. Along with new digital skills, this led to new forms of client engagement and more digital business development. The cultivation of a common language and the community-building efforts had a positive impact on employee engagement, collaborations within and across regions, employee retention, and the employer brand. (d) Lessons learned: The case provides inspiration for how to make cultivation a key part of digital transformation programs: put learning and belonging centre stage in cultivation, go for an inclusive digital transformation with a layered degree of involvement, build in a community aspect, acknowledge the importance of data-based decision-making and deal with paradoxes in decision-making.