MS 751 A1 & B1 – DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH

(1.5 CREDITS) SPRING 2025

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION, LEARNING GOALS, and STRUCTURE

I.1. Course Description & Learning Goals

This course introduces students to the challenges and best practices in driving growth through enterprise-wide digital transformation.    It builds a fundamental understanding of the data and technology drivers of transformation and the main approaches to harness data and technology to grow their businesses by transforming their sales model, customer experiences or their business/operating model. The course will explore the reasons transformations fail. Students will learn how an employee centric approach to organization development can overcome many of the key reasons for failure.

Specifically, students will learn about:

· The context, drivers and barriers to digital transformation

· The digital transformation mindset and customer centricity

· The primary types of customer-centric digital transformation

· Human-centric transformation enablers

· Data and platform. transformation enablers

I.2. Course Structure & Pedagogy

After an introduction to Digital Transformation in week one students will spend four weeks delving into the types of digital transformations. This will include learning to assess the impact different types of transformations have on the business model of the enterprise and on customers, trade partners, suppliers and the organization.  In the final two weeks students will learn how the human and data enablers of transformation can be harnessed to make transformation successful. Throughout the course B2B and B2C examples will be used.

The course will utilize a “flipped classroom” that places responsibility for learning in each student’s hands. Students will prepare for each class by answering questions about the videos and case studies that are assigned before each class. In-class learning will take place via small group problem solving followed by a case discussion among the entire class.  A learning assessment will take place in the last 30 minutes of each class.  

Each class will include a general review of key Digital Transformation concepts with questions posed to the class that will provide students the opportunity to provide input and also build on each other’s comments. Additionally, there will often be in-class group assignments where you will work as a team and present back to the class or to other groups.

Business Case Studies will be integrated into each week’s curriculum. Students will individually prepare for class group discussion by submitting an “Analysis-Evaluation-Recommendation” assignment.

The course is organized by week as follows:

(1) Why Digital Transformation Matters and How DT Fails

(2) DT Type 1 – Disintermediation via The Digital Selling Shift

(3) DT Type 2 – Hyper- Engagement via Digital Experience Makeover  

(4) DT Type 3 – Learning Solutions via Digital Value Proposition Pivot

(5) DT Type 4 – Network Effects via Digital Platform. Play

(6) Enabler 1 – Human Centric Organizational Enablement

(7) Enabler 2 – Harnessing Data to Power Valuable Customer Interaction

Throughout the course students will assess the impact of AI on DT

I.3. Course Materials

Sources include:

Geyer & Niessing; The Defitive Guide to B2B Digital Transformation,

Harvard Business Publishing Course Pack https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1258382

II. EXPECTATIONS and POLICIES

II.1 Class Norms  

The class will be conducted by the norms of a well-run professional environment.

Be Professional – Be respectful to everyone.  Be on time. Don’t leave class unless it is absolutely necessary. Listen and seek to understand those around you.

Prepare – Come to class ready to contribute and engage with other students. Be prepared to share the insights you’ve generated from your assignments with the class. 

Participate – Actively engage in class and team discussions. Consistently make substantial and relevant contributions to your project teams. 

Be Present – Show respect to each other by being attentive. Distractions such as cell phones and computers should be shut off and put away unless your professor asks for their use.

Be Principled – Act with integrity, recognizing the thinking of others without ever allowing their thinking to be misinterpreted as your own.

Be Professional: Treat colleagues with respect – Debate, disagree and question ideas without discrediting the speaker.  Help others articulate their points of view, use discussion time judiciously. Do not dominate discussions, discourage, intimidate, or minimize the contribution of other participants, or diminish the value of individuals in any way.

Prepare: Blackboard lists all required readings and particular questions for each class; ensure your readiness for each class by completing these readings and preparing your answers to those questions. It is essential that you review the assigned material and that you prepare responses to the Class Preparation Questions before coming to class. Assignments are always due at the beginning of class on their due date, even if students are unable to attend class that day.

Participate: Satisfactory class participation requires attendance at every session of the course; preparation of all materials for every session; and active, quality participation in class discussions. Simply attending class is essential.  However, it does not constitute a positive contribution to class and will not yield high class contribution scores.

Cold Calling - The purpose of cold calling is to ensure that participation is equitable, that all class members contribute to class discussions, and that all members are prepared for these discussions. The participation requirement is universal and applies even if you are extremely shy or sleepy during scheduled class times or if English is not your first language. If you are particularly worried about your class participation, please check in with me within the first two weeks of the mod and I can help.

Be Present:

Students are expected to be on time for class and present the entire time. Arriving late, departing early, leaving during class (even for an interview), or taking personal breaks when your team is working together shows disrespect to your fellow students. Plan ahead: arrive at class early and avoid scheduling interviews that overlap with the course.

Please bring paper copies of your notes and case materials to class. Use of computers for any reason (social messaging, internet search) is distracting to you and your colleagues. All class sessions will be recorded for the benefit of registered students who are unable to attend live sessions due to illness or other exceptional circumstances. Students may not share such sessions with anyone not registered in the course and may certainly not repost them in a public platform.

Be Principled:

Our course can only succeed if every student represents honestly their own knowledge and ideas. Academic misconduct is conduct by which a student misrepresents their academic accomplishments or impedes other students’ opportunities of being judged fairly for their academic work. Knowingly allowing others to represent your work as their own is as serious an offense as submitting another’s work as your own. The penalties for violating the code are severe.

It is the responsibility of every student to be aware of the Academic Conduct Code’s contents and to abide by its provisions. Please review the Academic integrity section of the Student Handbook for a description of the Academic code.

II.2. Responsible Use of AI

AI is an unprecedented opportunity to become more effective and productive. We believe in:

- Embracing AI broadly and responsibly

- Treating AI as a tool for study, not a replacement for it

- Adapting and adjusting as AI evolves 

We require that all students use AI responsibly:

- Never include proprietary data into AI tools that process data for you.

- Verify and adapt the outputs by fact-checking all claims and references and by citing sources.

- Cite the use of AI in every submission or class assignment.

- Do not use AI in the classroom unless specifically requested by your instructor.

Please refer the MIM AI Student Guide in the MIM Dashboard for an outline of responsible AI use.

II.3 Absence and Tardiness

Every student is expected to attend every class on time.

- Students suffering from an acute illness will be excused if they inform. me and the TA by email before class begins. Chronic illnesses will not be excused unless they receive an accommodation from the BU Office of Disability Services – see III.3 below

- Students who face an unexpected personal or family emergency will be excused as long as they inform. me and the course TA in a timely fashion.

- Job interviews should be scheduled outside of class time. Hiring managers recognize that you are students and will generally be willing to arrange interviews around classes at your request (which you should!). When there is no alternative to scheduling an interview during class time, students should notify me in advance and arrange to take the interview in HAR 416 to minimize the amount of class time lost.

II.4 Academic accommodations for students with special needs  

In keeping with University policy, any student with a disability who needs or thinks they need academic accommodations must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Students can call ODS at 617-353-3658, or visit their website (http://www.bu.edu/disability/) to arrange a confidential appointment with a Disability Services staff member. Accommodation letters must be delivered to me not later than two weeks before any major examination. Please note that accommodations will not be made without an official letter of accommodation.  

II.5 Academic Integrity Policy  

Students are expected to abide by the Questrom School’s Academic Conduct Code (https://www.bu.edu/academics/policies/academic-conduct-code/).  

Please note that all graded assignments, both written and verbal, are strictly individual efforts. While we collaborate on work in class, graded assignments outside of class are to be completed entirely independently. Please seek assistance directly from me or our TA. if you would like to discuss your assignment outside of class.  

II.6 Sexual Misconduct/Title IX Policy  

The Questrom School of Business is committed to fostering a safe learning environment for all community members by preventing sexual misconduct. All forms of sexual misconduct, including rape, acquaintance rape, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, and sexual harassment are violations of Boston University’s policies, whether they happen on or off campus.  

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities. This law makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender is a Civil Rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, please use the resources at http://www.bu.edu/safety/sexual-misconduct/.  

II.7 Diversity and Inclusion  

In developing the materials and assignments for this course, we have aimed to be thoughtful about how identity and culture impact the course content.  During the semester we may discuss content that will inspire debate, different opinions, and shared experiences. Learning can only happen in a community that is respectful and inclusive. All members of class will conduct themselves in a professional manner. Remember, you can disagree with the idea and still respect the person.  

We invite you to share your personal experiences and perspective related to the course content; we can learn from each other. If there are topics or conversations that you feel would benefit from incorporation of social context, a differing perspective, or Questrom’s Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, please let me know and we will explore resources and opportunities for us to engage a wide variety of perspectives in our classroom.  

If you feel you have experienced improper conduct or have witnessed improper conduct, please report your concerns using this link.

IV. COURSE EVALUATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

IV.1 Grading

Grades for the course are based on Preparation, Participation and Application. Standards are set on a curve - 15% of students will receive Honors, 75% High Pass and 10% Pass.  

Area	Fail	Pass	High Pass	Honors
Preparation	Clearly fall short of standard in 1 area	Approach standard in all three areas	Meet standard in all three areas	Exceed standard in all three areas
Participation
Application

IV.2 Evaluation of Preparation

Preparation of assigned readings, videos and cases will be scored based on student responses to questions that are incorporated into each weekly assignment.

- The responses must be submitted before each class begins.

- The total of the student’s top six weekly scores will be used to calculate the final preparation grade based on the 15/75/10 curve described above.  

- Students who are forced to miss a class for any reason, including illness, can make-up half their weekly preparation score by submitting their responses and case assignment before the next class.

IV.3 Evaluation of Participation

Participation will be scored by me during each class with a 1 to 7 score based on the quality of each student’s active participation in class:

- Points are awarded as follows 1 Present; 1 On time; 1 Participate in Team Exercise; 1 Participate in Class Discussion; 2 Insightful Participation in Class Discussion; 2 Reflection; -1 Conduct inconsistent with class norms

- The reflection score is based on contribution to a reflection blog that will be open for 24 hours after the completion of each class

- There are no extra points for quantity of participation – quality counts

- Passing on a cold call is a reduction in points because it is inconsistent with norms

- The total of the student’s top six weekly scores will be used to calculate the final participation grade based on the 15/75/10 curve described above.  

- Students who miss or leave a class for any reason, including illness, will not be able to make-up their weekly participation score. Counting top 6 of 7 scores will compensate for the miss.

Effective class participation means that you will engage in exercises and move class discussions forward fully and constructively. This includes saying things you believe make sense, even though others may not agree. It also includes being open to the ideas of others, being able to listen to and understand what they are saying, building upon their ideas, and being open to changing your thinking in the face of better reasoning and analysis.

Your class participation grade is dependent on your ability to actively engage in both large group discussion and small group exercises during each class session. Large group discussion will allow you to engage with your instructor and your peers as you interrogate and explore the course concepts that each section will focus on. Small group exercises will allow you to apply and engage with those course concepts with your peers. Both components will help you to develop the most critical ability for any effective businessperson: verbal persuasion.

IV.4 Evaluation of Application

Application will be assessed by a student’s score in a 30-minute test or assignment completed at the end of each class.

- Each test or assignment will use EXAMSOFT.  It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that the software is operational, and computer batteries are charged before each class.

- The tests and assignments will include all topics covered in preparation for the current class, during the current class all topics covered in all previous classes and assignments.

- The value of the test or assignment will remain the same each week.  However, bonus questions may be incorporated at my discretion.

- The total of the student’s top six weekly scores will be used to calculate the final application grade based on the 15/75/10 curve described above.  

- Students who miss the test or assignment for any reason, including illness, will not be able to make-up their weekly application score. Counting top 6 of 7 scores will compensate.

V. DETAILED COURSE SCHEDULE:

Session 1: Why Digital Transformation Matters and How They Fail:

Definition:

Liu et al. (2021): Digital transformation refers to the integration of digital technologies into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how businesses operate and deliver value to customers. It involves a cultural shift that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure.

Why Digital Transformation Matters:

- Outline the distinct types of DT and their impact on the firm's Business Model. Explore key reasons why digital transformations fail and what leaders can do to drive success.

- DT Scope, drivers, and relevance in today’s business landscape.

- Operational vs. Customer-Driven Transformations

- Types of Transformation: Overview of types covered in sessions 2, 3, 4, and 5: Digital Selling Shift; Digital Experience Makeover; Digital Value Proposition Pivot; Digital Platform. Play

Introduction to Business Models:

- Definition: A framework for how a business creates, delivers, and captures value.

- Example: Traditional retail stores that sell products directly to consumers.

- Impact of Digital Transformation: E-commerce platforms disrupting traditional retail by digitizing the supply chain and reaching consumers directly.

How Transformations Fail:

- Organizational inertia and resistance to change.

- Failing to address employee shifts required for success.

- Lack of alignment between strategy, operating model, execution, and customer needs.

Read:

· pages 1 - 12 the Definitive Guide to B2B Digital Transformation, Geyer and Niessing;

· “Why Is Digital Transformation So Hard? Leaders Must Manage Multifaceted Change, Not Technology Adoption” Geyer and Niessing, The European Business Review, Jan 15, 2021, https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/why-is-digital-transformation-so-hard-leaders-must-manage-multifaceted-change-not-technology-adoption/ 

Watch: 

· Preparation Videos and Knowledge Checks included on Blackboard

Gather: A story of a B2B or B2C digital transformation to post in class

Case Prep: “Kuoni: Missing the Digital Boat - The Downfall of an Icon in the Travel Industry,” Niessing, Duke, & Sedlacek, INSEAD, Feb 2019 – HBP Coursepack https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1258382

Tools, Concepts & Frameworks: Waves of Transformation, Business Model Canvas (Prophet), The Innovator’s Dilemma (Christensen)

Session 2: Disintermediation via The Digital Selling Shift

Primary Transformational Impact: Disintermediation.

Definition: Removing intermediaries in the value chain to establish a direct relationship between the business and its customers.

- Evolution of sales, marketing, and commerce in the digital age.

- Omnichannel strategies: integrating online and offline channels.

- Role of data and AI in sales enablement and lead generation.

- Personalization and customer-centric selling in the digital era.

Impact on Business Models:

- Traditional distribution models disrupted by direct-to-consumer (DTC) approaches.

- Example: Brands like Warby Parker or Casper bypassing traditional retail channels.

Central Question: Whether and how to effectively manage multiple selling channels?