Digital Competencies and Data Literacy in Digital Transformations : Experience from the Technology Consultants

Sammanfattning: The digital revolution is challenging both individuals and organizations to be more comfortable using various digital technologies. Digital technologies enable and generate high amounts of data, but people are not very good at interpreting or making sense of it. This study aimed to explore the role of digital competencies and data literacy in digital transformations and identify the consequences the lack of digital competencies and data literacy can cause within digital transformation projects. The authors studied technology consultants' perspectives with experience in digital transformation projects using an exploratory qualitative research design building on the empirical data gathered from semi-structured interviews. The authors were able to identify that the technology consultants perceived digital competencies as crucial skills for individuals to possess in digital transformations. At the same time, data literacy was not considered a crucial skill in the context of digital transformations. Regarding the consequences of a digital skills gap, the technology consultants saw issues within the implementation of the project, delays, or indirect waste of resources like monetary assets.