This course introduces you to Dartmouth’s Digital Transformation Certificate Program. Digital transformation is significant because so many firms struggle with the migration from old ways of doing business and outdated technology to more modern technology solutions. Digital Transformation becomes a source of competitive advantage for an organization as it evolves internal processes and learns how to build on top of new technology capabilities to deliver those products and services that the end customers desire. By taking the certificate program, you'll be prepared to be a leader within your organization, applying foundational concepts and frameworks to both existing and new opportunities as they arise.

This course offers a sample of each of the four courses in the Digital Transformation Certificate Program: Course 1 - Digital Transformation and Platforms, Course 2 - A Managerial View of Data Analytics for Digital Transformation, Course 3 - Digital Analytics and Tools for Managerial Decision-Making, and Course 4 - Digital Age Product Design and Development. We hope this introductory experience will inspire you to deepen your knowledge of digital transformation and join our program.

What You Will Learn

Agile development processes
Cloud-based analytics
Design thinking

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to the Digital Transformation Certificate
This course is an introduction to the Dartmouth Thayer School of Engineering Digital Transformation Certificate. In the certificate program, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience necessary to facilitate strategic and impactful change within your organization. Throughout the certificate program, you will learn how to develop digital transformation strategies, analyze data to support innovation and dive into product design and development. This sneak peek will provide a sample of each certificate course and give you an overview of the projects you will be completing in the certificate program.

WEEK 2
Course 1: Digital Transformation and Platforms
In Course 1 of the certificate program, you’ll be introduced to the idea of digital transformation and the challenges that organizations face when implementing major transformation projects. You’ll learn how major technology initiatives can be broken down into more manageable chunks in a way that mirrors agile product development processes. You’ll examine the challenges of implementing business-to-consumer (B2C) tools and ideas in a business-to-business (B2B) setting and explore frameworks and approaches for how to overcome these challenges. Finally, you’ll discuss staffing gaps that emerge when organizations implement digital transformation initiatives and what new capabilities can be created. Throughout the course, principles will be brought to life through accessible examples and case studies. In Course 1, you will begin a project that is completed in Course 2. You will work in small teams to apply learnings from digital transformation and data analytics to a problem or application of particular interest. This project will be delivered as a consulting report for a client, even though that client is only hypothetical. We have provided most of the content from the first two course modules for you to sample. There are faculty-facilitated assignments in the Certificate program course that are not included here.

WEEK 3
Course 2: A Managerial View of Data Analytics for Digital Transformation
In Course 2 of the certificate program, you’ll learn concepts for measuring critical aspects of digital transformation throughout the lifecycle of projects. Different metrics will be discussed by project stage, and non-financial metrics will be introduced to help you build a full suite of tools to understand the status of your projects. You’ll engage in discussion around the language of things, the language of money, and the connections between the two, as you explore key differences between a discounted cash flow (DCF) view versus a real options view. You’ll then examine the crucial role of experimentation in providing rapid feedback to inform innovation initiatives. The special case of platforms, user bases, network effects, and virality will be covered. Finally, you’ll conclude with a discussion of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and their ties to digital transformation and innovation initiatives. To complete the mini-capstone for the first two certificate courses, you will work in small teams to apply learnings from digital transformation and data analytics to a problem or application of particular interest. This project will be delivered as a consulting report for a client, even if that client is only hypothetical. We have provided most of the content from the first two course modules for you to sample. There are faculty-facilitated assignments in the Certificate program course that are not included here.

WEEK 4
Course 3: Digital Analytics and Tools for Managerial Decision-Making
In Course 3 of the certificate program, you’ll use predictive analytics tools and leverage historical data to identify the likelihood of future outcomes and evaluate what-if scenarios under various strategic and operational settings. You’ll also cover the use of prescriptive analytics and experience the power of optimization tools to streamline process design, planning, and operations. Upon completion of this course, you’ll be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of easy-to-use cloud-based analytics tools. The course will culminate with an individual capstone project. It will give you the chance to demonstrate the application of multiple tools from your newly-acquired cloud analytics toolbox to a real-world problem of your interest. You will work on real datasets to inform practical decision-making and provide managerial insights into key strategic and operational questions faced by businesses undergoing digital transformation. You will deliver the project as a technical report, including an executive summary with implementable recommendations to a real or hypothetical client. We have provided the first course section for you to sample.

WEEK 5
Course 4: Digital Age Product Design and Development
In Course 4 of the certificate program, you'll get an introduction to the principles, processes, and methods of designing and developing successful digital products. The emphasis will be on the integration of engineering and business functions in creating a new product. You'll additionally focus on powerful design thinking techniques that can enhance competitive advantage, whether working in a startup or an established company. You'll also master key stages of product development. You'll learn how to identify product opportunities, gather consumer needs, generate innovative design concepts, iteratively prototype and test solutions, and plan roadmaps for downstream activities related to production, marketing, and launch of a new product. You'll become proficient in applying these skills through hands-on exercises and a course project to design an actual digital product in a team setting. Upon completing the course, you'll be equipped with specific and effective strategies for transforming ideas into products that deliver true value to both customers and firms. In the project portion of the course, you will work in small teams to design and develop a new digital product. By the end of the course, teams will have produced a prototype version of their product at a proof-of-concept level. The goal will be to gain hands-on experience in applying the methods and principles of product development to address a realistic problem that will deliver actual customer value. Students are encouraged to bring their own ideas to the project and to formulate teams who have an affinity for those interests and possess complementary skill sets. In this course, we have provided the first four course lessons for you to sample.