Digital Strategy (5 ECTS)

Objective

The course equips the students with approaches to digital transformation and building a digital strategy to define organisational priorities and set the direction for an organisation aimed at harnessing the full power of digital.

The student understands digitalisation as a driver of change, and digital strategy as a tool to steer business performance via improving technology and focusing on customer experience, creating new products, and reinventing current processes. The student can analyse and formulate a digital strategy, by identifying its dimensions, and distinguish strategy from tactics and priority initiatives, and in a broad sense, outline how digital transformation can support business goals.

Content

• Digital transformation and its canvas
• Digital strategy as an organisational tool
• Digital transformation roadmaps for planning implementation
• Digital strategies in various organisations

Students complete two assignments during the course: 1. individually by analysing their own organisation's digital strategy (or a well-publicised case) and 2. in teams by brainstorming elements of a digital strategy and roadmaps for implementation in a 2-day seminar event.

Location and time

The course continues from 28 August to 14 November 2025, on campus.

"Must-attend" classes:
22.8, Friday, at 9-12 am
19.9, Friday, at 9-16 pm (full day)
7 and 8.11, Friday and Saturday, at 9-16 pm (2 full days - the seminar day and presentations).

Please note that this course benefits from additional lectures and presentations from other courses, so please check the minimum mandatory schedule for additional classes (they are announced in the course implementation).

Materials

Summer reading (mandatory)

Course: “Digital Strategy”, 5 cr

Start by reading and absorbing three mandatory books and one article for your course in autumn 2024:

BOOK 1: “The digital transformation canvas: develop and implement your digital strategy”, by Peter M.K. (Pearson 2024; appx. 170 pages). Metropolia library has 2 paper copies and access to e-book from here (since 1st August): https://metropolia.finna.fi/Record/3amk.307656?sid=4722285435

BOOK 2: “The digital transformation roadmap: rebuild your organization for continuous change”, by Rogers D.L. (Columbia University Press 2023; appx. 280 pages). Metropolia library has 4 paper copies and access to e-book from here (since 1st August): https://metropolia.finna.fi/Record/3amk.306496?sid=4725147747

BOOK 3: “Optimizing digital strategy”, by Bones C., Hammerslay J., and Shaw J. (Kogan Page 2018; appx. 200 pages). Metropolia library has 2 paper copies and access to e-book from here (since 1st August): https://metropolia.finna.fi/Record/nelli15.4100000007164052?sid=4761073595

ARTICLES (RECOMMENDED):

PwC (in partnership with Microsoft) (2017). How Finland is Embracing Digital Transformation – Digital Challenges and Successes Showcased. (48 pages). Available here as a pdf-file.

CANVAS 1. Marc K Peter (2024). The Digital Transformation Canvas: Develop and implement your digital strategy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380638002_The_workshop_canvas_for_digital_transformation_2024_edition_Develop_and_implement_your_digital_strategy

CANVAS 2. Gianluca E., Gianluca S., Larro A., F.Pigni and C.L. Tucci (2024).The digital transformation canvas: A conceptual framework for leading the digital transformation process.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379422763_The_digital_transformation_canvas_A_conceptual_framework_for_leading_the_digital_transformation_process

CANVAS 3. Silvi R., Nielsen C., Pia A. (2023). From Insights to Business Model Innovation and Results: Using the Digital Transformation Canvas. Journal of Business Models (2023), Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 30-45. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/JOBM/article/download/8120/6563/27161&ved=2ahUKEwihloLo1dWMAxUxRfEDHV9hC8AQFnoECBQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0zo_n3A3Tt9ZrPFzlEdTLt

The general teaching approach on the course will be to blend up-to-date digital transformation aspects and digital strategy via lectures, discussions and team work, with the final big event on 7-8 November 2025, focused on real-life practices in your organizations.

Students can find the same information in open access, here: https://www.metropolia.fi/en/academics/masters-degrees/business-informatics (Please look at th very bottom of the long web-page)

Teaching methods

The course equips the students with approaches to digital transformation and building a digital strategy to define organisational priorities and set the direction for an organisation aimed at harnessing the full power of digital.

The student understands digitalisation as a driver of change, and digital strategy as a tool to steer business performance via improving technology and focusing on customer experience, creating new products, and reinventing current processes. The student can analyse and formulate a digital strategy, by identifying its dimensions, and distinguish strategy from tactics and priority initiatives, and in a broad sense, outline how digital transformation can support business goals.

Exam schedules

7 and 8.11, Friday and Saturday, at 9-16 pm (2 full days for the seminar day and presentations).

Those who come unprepared to the Seminar 78.11.20285 will not be allowed to participate. Please only come prepared.

NO re-sits.

Completion alternatives

Prerequisites:

Completed higher education degree (Bachelor level). The course participants can also benefit from taking the “Strategy, Management and Leadership” elective course first, before diving into digital strategy.

Student workload

The workload in the course is a regular workload of 127 h of student work (all included: lectures. seminar, readings, assignments etc).

Content scheduling

Content:

• Digital transformation and its canvas
• Digital strategy as an organisational tool
• Digital transformation roadmaps for planning implementation
• Digital strategies in various organisations

Students complete two assignments during the course: 1. individually by analysing their own organisation's digital strategy (or a well-publicised case) and 2. in teams by brainstorming elements of a digital strategy and roadmaps for implementation in a 2-day seminar event.

Further information

The language of instruction and materials is English.

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The student has completed basic requirements to pass the course and has made an attempt to apply and articulate concepts and information both verbally and in writing but has not made enough effort overall. The student has demonstrated little effort, interest and motivation for individual or team activities / assignments and the output is rather weak.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The student can apply and articulate concepts and information well both verbally and in writing, certain areas of individual or team output require further attention; shows appropriate level of interest and motivation in individual and team activities. Good presentation delivery and analysis.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student demonstrates interest and motivation in individual and team activities and assignments, fully applies and clearly articulates concepts and information both verbally and in writing. The student is able to support their arguments with references to the recommended reading and lecture content. Excellent presentation delivery and analysis.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The student has completed basic requirements to pass the course and has made an attempt to apply and articulate concepts and information both verbally and in writing but has not made enough effort overall. The student has demonstrated little effort, interest and motivation for individual or team activities / assignments and the output is rather weak.

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The student has completed basic requirements to pass the course and has made an attempt to apply and articulate concepts and information both verbally and in writing but has not made enough effort overall. The student has demonstrated little effort, interest and motivation for individual or team activities / assignments and the output is rather weak.
Assessment criteria, good (3)

The student can apply and articulate concepts and information well both verbally and in writing, certain areas of individual or team output require further attention; shows appropriate level of interest and motivation in individual and team activities. Good presentation delivery and analysis.
Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student demonstrates interest and motivation in individual and team activities and assignments, fully applies and clearly articulates concepts and information both verbally and in writing. The student is able to support their arguments with references to the recommended reading and lecture content. Excellent presentation delivery and analysis.
Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The student has completed basic requirements to pass the course and has made an attempt to apply and articulate concepts and information both verbally and in writing but has not made enough effort overall. The student has demonstrated little effort, interest and motivation for individual or team activities / assignments and the output is rather weak.

Qualifications

Completed higher education degree (Bachelor level). The course participants can also benefit from taking the “Strategy, Management and Leadership” elective course first, before diving into digital strategy.

Further information

The language of tuition is English.

Further information

The language of tuition is English.