Objective of Meeting
The Open Group Open Digital Transformation Forum is designed for business leaders, technology professionals, industry experts, and academics committed to navigating the complexities of Digital Transformation. Whether leading or playing a part in enterprise-wide change or developing industry standards, Members will gain access to the insights, frameworks, and methodologies needed to drive tangible results.
The Forum provides a collaborative environment in which experts from various sectors work together to:
- Develop practical methodologies and frameworks that help organizations execute Digital Transformation strategies
- Bridge the gap between standards and real-world implementation, ensuring that digital initiatives are scalable and sustainable
- Address critical gaps in existing industry standards, enhancing adoption and effectiveness
- Share best practices and innovations across industries to accelerate a digital evolution
Steve Nunn, President and CEO, The Open Group, and Dr Pallab Saha, General Manager (India), The Open Group, opened the session and gave an overview of the new Forum, and its live launch event planned for The Open Group Summit in July 2025 in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia.
Rashed Alyami, Saudi Aramco, provided a detailed overview of the Digital Transformation situation in Saudi Arabia, and the evolution globally of Digital Transformation; including maturity stages, economic impacts, types of Digital Transformation, and also those organizations who are leveraging disruptive technologies.
The need for a new forum was summarized, highlighting that while there is a wide range of Digital Transformation content, there are identifiable gaps and open standards are needed to help shape and drive organizational Digital Transformation globally. The value proposition was shared and outlined, along with the areas of focus, scope, and the reasons for joining the new forum. The existing Digital Portfolio Work Group (DPWG) and its Digital Practitioner Body of Knowledge™ Standard (also known as the DPBoK™ Standard), as well as the common glossary and roles activities, was outlined as well as its transition into the new Forum once it has been formally launched. This ensures the existing content of work will be retained and leveraged as part of the development of the new Digital Transformation standard.
The second portion of the meeting focused on active activities and workshops for idea generation.
A list of inputs from interested parties (captured as sticky notes in the workshop) is being developed and will be carried forward in two virtual meetings in June and early July, which will be used to inform the vision/mission/charter for the forum. Specific questions and comments from interested parties included:
- How to collaborate with other forums/work groups, and leverage their work and standards?
- What are we specifically trying to solve for?
- What about ethics as applied to Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
- Comment that roles are becoming more specialized, and that oversight of tech work is needed as this transition occurs
- Training is needed for technical staff, as well as for management
- Suggestion that we will need a way to capture inputs on virtual meetings (for example, a survey platform?)
- Suggestion that we should consider building a survey to capture inputs, and on the survey, flag membership status, capture level of respondent (IT/OT/executive), ask those receiving the survey to pass it along to their management level for completion, and also, in the survey, ask an open-ended question: Who are the relevant government authorities and government initiatives regarding Digital Transformation in your geography?
Outputs
Focus Areas:
- Digital Standards: Establishing clear frameworks and guidelines for Digital Transformation initiatives, ensuring consistency and quality across various digital initiatives and projects
- Global Knowledge Sharing Platform: Creating a cross-industry collaboration platform for sharing insights, experiences, and best practices – collaboration among organisations to overcome challenges and celebrate successes
- Reference Architecture: Developing architecture frameworks to guide organizations in their Digital Transformation journey
- Training & Certification Programs: Offering a three-tier (foundation, intermediate, and advanced) certification program focused on emerging technologies, equipping professionals throughout their career, with the skills needed to thrive in a digital landscape
- Organization Cultural Transformation: Promoting a shift in organizational innovation and agility; encouraging new ways of working that foster creativity and collaboration
Scope of Activities:
- Contribute to Digital Transformation Standards development
- Collaborate on Addressing Global Digital Challenges
- Gain Insights from Knowledge Sharing and Lessons Learned
- Influence the Digital Transformation Agenda
- Reinforce your Organizational Leadership in Global Digital Transformation Stage
Reasons for Joining (summarized):
- Provide Access to Expert Knowledge: Learn from industry leaders, gain insights from real-world case studies, and stay ahead of digital trends
- Influence Industry Practices: Contribute to shaping methodologies and frameworks that will guide Digital Transformation efforts globally
- Collaborate Across Sectors: Connect with peers in technology, business, and academia, to share challenges, solutions, and success stories
- Accelerate Digital Growth: Leverage the Forum’s resources to build competencies, refine strategies, and drive measurable impact in Digital Transformation initiatives
Next Steps
See: Timeline
How to Join the Forum:
Send an email to membership@opengroup.org.
The Open Group team will get you everything you need.
Note: Existing Gold and Platinum members will have access to the new Forum, and will simply need to include the names of members who wish to be included.