BUS6010 Business Transformation Impact of Transformational Change Assignment Sample

BUS6010 Business Transformation Impact of Transformational Change Assignment

Business transformation refers to a term used for making fundamental changes within the business consisting of modification regarding process and technology. The present study will be based on Primark, an international fashion retailer company in the United Kingdom. The report will suggest a digital transformation for the company and evaluate two drivers of digital business transformation. Further, the study will outline the change process and change leadership while using theories and models. It will also recommend the way organizations enhance and associated benefits from change. In addition, it will cover barriers in the implementation process and ways to overcome them in a significant manner.

History of the Organisation, Requirement for a Digital Transformation and the Change

Primark is a well-known international retailer that deals in affordable choices for everyone including men, women and kids. It furnishes great quality merchandise, and essentials like beauty, accessories and homeware with standout styles. The company was founded in 1969 in Ireland under the brand Penneys. In 1974, the first store was opened in Derby and currently within the UK, there are 191 stores of the organization (Primark, 2025). At the global level, Primark has 450 stores and continues to expand. The company is also known for its sustainable merchandise as well as sustainable practices within the business, it leads to allows the company to satisfy the needs of the eco-conscious customers. In the digitalization era, every fashion retailer company within the UK and outside strives to adopt emerging technologies within the business to get a competitive advantage in the market and to satisfy the needs of the customers. Companies with a lack of acceptance of the technology face difficulty in remaining competitive in the market. Primark to enhance the experience of the customers and to remain competitive within the industry, requires a digital transformation, in context to this, the company bring change (improvement) or digital transformation via introducing AR/ VR showrooms within the business. The main two drivers that motivate Primark for digital transformation include:

• Enhance customer experience: The company drive to bring digital transformation to enhance the customer experience while shopping online as well as offline. Greater customer experience will directly influence the revenue of the business.
• Increasing digital competition: In current times, due to the introduction of emerging technologies several businesses within the industry have started using techniques such as AI, automation, big data and so more, resulting in increasing digital competition (Kraus et al, 2021). It leads to influence Primark to do digital transformation within the business, to gain competitive advantage in the market as better customer experience means more customer base, market share and profitability.

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The concept of digital transformation of AR/VR showroom allows Primark to provide a virtual environment to the customers that replicate a physical showroom, It enables the customer to explore as well as interact with the products and services in a realistic and immersive way, all from the comfort of their own space (Sanodia, 2021). The digital transformation helps Primark to make the shopping experience more personalized and interactive. With the help of the transformation, the online customers of Primark will able to make purchase decisions by trying the clothes in a virtual environment, which allows them to know how the merchandise looks at them without any physical contact. This digital transformation allows Primark to get a competitive edge in the market by making its services unique from competitors and helping to enhance customer experience. At the time of digital transformation, Primark will use Business Model Canvas to map out key actors, activities, resources, value propositions, costs and benefits of transformation in business. In other words, the model used to develop new business, launch new products and services or revamp the existing business strategies. For the digital transformation of introducing an AR/VR showroom BMC model is as under:

Apart from this, the business uses a value proposition canvas. It is a framework that helps ensure that a product or service is positioned around what customers require as well as values (Belleflamme and Neysen, 2021). The value proposition canvas is as under:

Change Process and Change Leadership

The change process refers to the systematic approach of analyzing, refining and improving existing business processes to boost performance. Primark change process includes increasing the use of technology by introducing an AR/VR showroom to make a better and unique shopping experience for customers. Primark will implement a change process of digital transformation with the help of Kotter`s change management model. The model is effective and easy to implement and includes eight steps that furnish a clear description of the entire change process (Harrison et al, 2021).

• Create a sense of urgency: According to the first step of the model, Primark by evaluating the external environment and competition level, provides immediate attention to the requirement of the digital transformation. At this stage, Primark will identify the need for change such as coping with competition, enhancing the shopping experience and so more. The step includes getting support from others such as stakeholders, industry leaders, employees and so more.
• Building a guiding coalition: another step of the change process is building a team of the right people with the right skill, ability, knowledge and power to furnish much-needed support and momentum. Primark with the help of leaders and HR managers build a team that includes technical experts, leaders, skilled individuals and so more. Primark also works on team-building, recognizing the weak areas within the coalition to ensure better digital transformation.
• Develop a vision: For the further advancement of the change process, Primark sets a clear and effective vision for everyone. It includes what the change process needs to attain and how the organization benefits when change is implemented. The vision of Primark by introducing an AR/VR showroom is to enhance customer shopping experience via personalization and get a competitive advantage in the market. To attain this, the company focus on creating better strategies for executing vision in the best manner.
• Communicate the vision: The step of the model includes, effectively and efficiently communicating the vision to the involved people such as stakeholders, and employees. Primark will communicate the significance of the change that it helps the company to distinguish its product and services from competitors, provides a better shopping experience leads to an increase company`s profitability (Errida and Lotfi, 2021). In addition, the stage also consists of addressing the concerns of involved people in an honest manner, to implement the change in a better and efficient way.
• Eliminate obstacles: Referring to Kotter`s change management model, this step includes removing barriers within the change process. One of the main barriers Primark will face is resistance to change from the side of employees. Generally, the employees resist change due to the fear of losing jobs, and lack of willingness to adopt change. The technical change furnishes the feeling to the employees that they will not be able to match the skill and requirement for the change within the organization as a result they resist. To eliminate the obstacle, Primark will provide adequate training to the employees and support the change via reward and recognition to the early adopters.
• Build short-term wins: The stage includes focusing on short-term wins in the change process by rewarding the team members for the meeting initial target within the change of digital transformation.
• Creating on the change: After each victory in the change process, Primark needs to evaluate what is going right and what is wrong and effectively establish ambitious goals that create exponential momentum for achievement.
• Anchor the culture change: According to the model, after implementing of AR/VR change, the change leader of Primark regularly speaks about the progress and focuses on how it impacts day-to-day work and customer experience.

Anchor the culture change: According to the model, after implementing of AR/VR change, the change leader of Primark regularly speaks about the progress and focuses on how it impacts day-to-day work and customer experience. Apart from the change process, Primark needs to adopt a better leadership style to support the change of the AR/VR showroom and to effectively motivate, inspire and guide the involved employees to work with their full potential for the attainment of the pre-decided goal. Primark will adopt transformational leadership for effective and efficient digital transformation within the organization. The theory of transformational leadership allows the leader to inspire and encourage the employees to give their efforts beyond the required expectations to work effectively towards a shared vision (Schiuma et al, 2022). The leadership style has emerged as the best style for the company undergoing digital transformation due to its significant focus on employee development, innovation and trust. Referring to the leadership style, Primark leaders can use a forward-thinking approach that aids in evaluating possibilities out of challenges and adaptability to navigating complex and unpredictable digital change. According to the transformational theory, the leader of Primark focuses on providing training opportunities for the development of employees regarding digital transformation. Employees are trained in the skills and abilities to implement change, act according to transformation as well and overcoming the obstacles efficiently. Moreover, the leadership style includes the feature of open communication result motivates the involved individual to share their ideas, opinions and suggestions, resulting in giving them a feeling of value and respect, and declines changes of resistance to change. Hence, allows for the implementation of digital transformation easily and smoothly. Along with this, it is identified that the digital transformation change of Primark regarding the introduction of AR/VR showrooms significantly and positively impacts the company. One of the main influences is enhancing the shopping experience of the customer by increasing the convenience of interactive and personalized shopping (Celestin et al, 2024). In addition, the implementation helps the company to remain ahead in competition within the industry via its effective services and meeting the evolving requirements of the customer, leading to increased company sales and profitability in the future.

Enhancement of organisation and change benefits & Barriers to implementation process

The implantation of digital change in AR/VR showrooms leads to enhanced organization services, features of online shopping websites and so more. Following are the recommendations for the enhancement of Primark via digital transformation and its benefits: The digital transformation will allow Primark to enhance its product offering as AR/VR showrooms help the customers to explore the company products in 3D space with all angles, associated information and how it looks on the buyer if they purchase it. It helps the company to make the shopping experience of the customers more interactive and personalized. It allows the consumers to visualize items within their environment aids in better purchasing decisions and brings a touch of excitement to the purchasing journey (Khalil and Ahmed, 2024). Along with this, the transformation enables the organization to improve its position in the dynamic and competitive world as the change helps Primark to meet the needs of the customers, better service offerings compared to competitors result in an increasing customer base and market share. The change of AR/VR showroom within Primark helps the company to enjoy several benefits such as:

• Higher conversion rate: Digital transformation allows the company to offer virtual try-ons to potential customers, which means that via the change customers can see how the merchandise, accessories and other products look and fit them (Enyejo et al, 2024). It allows customers in informed decision-making and leads to an increased conversion rate which is one of the benefits for Primark.
• Competitive benefit: Adoption of a VR/AR showroom benefits the organization to differentiate itself within the market, by offering a unique experience that competitors may not furnish (Berman and Pollack, 2021). It leads to motivating buyers to grab Primark products to enjoy new shopping experiences. In addition, Primark will benefit as an early adopter of technology and will be able to grab the attention of customers who encourage the use of the latest technology.
• Profitability and good brand perception: Adapting the technology by Primark will benefit the company in creating a brand perception of an innovative company. In addition, better services, and personalized and interactive shopping experiences lead to attracting several customers towards the business resulting in increasing company sales as well as profitability ability.

Implementation of the digital transformation is not an easy task, it requires in-depth understanding, associated knowledge and resources in terms of human, technical, finance and so more. There are some barriers regarding the implementation of an AR/VR showroom as a digital transformation within Primark. It is as under:

• Resistance to change: One of the significant barriers a company will face in the implementation of digital transformation is resistance to change from employees. It means that some employees within the company are unwilling to adopt the technical change, which leads to a waste of time, effort and money (Diener and Špaček, 2021). The reasons for the barrier are fear of losing a job, lack of skills to cope with change and so more. It leads to difficulty for the organization to change smoothly and easily.
• Budget constraint: Another major barrier to the implementation of digital transformation is budget constraint as it is one of the costlier affairs. It requires investment within the tech infrastructure, human resources and physical resources such as equipment, software and so more. It makes onerous for the company to implement change proficiently.
• Complexity: Implementing the digital transformation of an AR/VR showroom requires efficient knowledge, details, evaluation, steps and procedures. In an era of digitalization, the introduction of new and emerging technologies makes it more complex (Digital Transformation Barrier, 2025). Lack of selection of the right and skilled individuals creates barriers for the company in implementing the change within the organization crucially.

The organization needs to do their best to overcome the barrier for the effective implementation of the digital transformation as well as getting indented benefits out of it. Some of the recommendations to overcome the barriers are as under:

• Primark is advised to focus on effective and open communication to minimize the barrier of resistance to change. The company should openly communicate to its employees about digital transformation, its importance within the organization such as its competitive edge as well as the benefits of it to the employees such as personal and professional growth (Scholkmann, 2021). It leads to motivate the employees to adopt the change. In addition, the leader of the company should emphasize addressing the related issues and concerns of each employee by answering their questions in the right manner.
• To overcome the barrier of resistance to change, Primark is recommended to conduct an appropriate training program for the employees to enhance their skills, abilities and knowledge in regards to digital transformation. It helps provide a sense of security to employees and results in mitigating barriers.
• Primark should furnish rewards and recognition to the early adopters of change to motivate the other employees to adopt change in a rapid and timely manner. Companies should provide monetary and non-monetary incentives such as rewards, bonuses, increments, promotions, praise, appreciation and recognition in front of all.
• The company advised to focus on a strategic approach and leveraging external funding to overcome the barrier of budget constraints. By prioritizing key areas, cost-effective solutions and managing budget company can address budget requirements. Primark should opt for a bank loan to invest a sufficient amount for digital transformation.
• Primark is recommended to collaborate with the digital transformation consulting company to overcome the barrier of complexity while implementing the digital transformation of the VR/AR within the organization. The consulting organization help the company to be aware of the required details, steps and procedures to implement the change within the organization.

Conclusion

To sum up, it has been articulated that digital transformation plays a crucial role in enhancing the competitive edge within the company. The present study is based on Primark, a fashion retailer that can do a digital transformation of AR/VR showrooms within the organization. Enhancing customer experience and getting a competitive advantage are two drivers that motivate organizations to implement digital transformation. The report outlines that IT companies are considered key partners and the transformation provides a value proposition of enhancing customer experience via the Business Canvas Model. Apart from this, the report highlights the change process by using Kotter`s change management model, Primark creates a sense of urgency, builds a team, and communicates and implements change effectively. For successful implementation, it adopts transformational leadership. The evaluation identified that the change benefits the company by increasing the conversion rate and profitability. However, it faced implementation barriers like resistance to change, budget constraints and so more.

References

Books and Journals

• Bellantuono, N., Nuzzi, A., Pontrandolfo, P. and Scozzi, B., 2021. Digital transformation models for the I4. 0 transition: Lessons from the change management literature. Sustainability, 13(23), p.12941.
• Belleflamme, P. and Neysen, N., 2021. A multisided value proposition canvas for online platforms. Journal of Business Ecosystems (JBE), 2(1), pp.1-14.
• Berman, B. and Pollack, D., 2021. Strategies for the successful implementation of augmented reality. Business Horizons, 64(5), pp.621-630.
• Celestin, M., Sujatha, S., Kumar, A.D. and Vasuki, M., 2024. Exploring the Impact of AR and VR on Enhancing Customer Experiences and Driving Sales in Retail. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Arts and Humanities, 9(2), pp.87-94.
• Diener, F. and Špaček, M., 2021. Digital transformation in banking: A managerial perspective on barriers to change. Sustainability, 13(4), p.2032.
• Enyejo, J.O., Obani, O.Q., Afolabi, O., Igba, E. and Ibokette, A.I., 2024. Effect of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences on customer engagement and purchase behaviour in retail stores. Magna Scientia Advanced Research and Reviews, 11(2), pp.132-150.
• Errida, A. and Lotfi, B., 2021. The determinants of organizational change management success: Literature review and case study. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 13, p.18479790211016273.
• Harrison, R., Fischer, S., Walpola, R.L., Chauhan, A., Babalola, T., Mears, S. and Le-Dao, H., 2021. Where do models for change management, improvement and implementation meet? A systematic review of the applications of change management models in healthcare. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, pp.85-108.
• Khalil, Z.T. and Ahmed, A., 2024. Technology-driven Branding Strategies: AI, AR, and VR Applications. Strategies for Brand Communications and Management, p.214.
• Kraus, S., Jones, P., Kailer, N., Weinmann, A., Chaparro-Banegas, N. and Roig-Tierno, N., 2021. Digital transformation: An overview of the current state of the art of research. Sage Open, 11(3), p.21582440211047576.
• Sanodia, G., 2021. The Role of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Enhancing Customer Experiences within CRM Systems.
• Schiuma, G., Schettini, E., Santarsiero, F. and Carlucci, D., 2022. The transformative leadership compass: six competencies for digital transformation entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 28(5), pp.1273-1291.
• Scholkmann, A.B., 2021. Resistance to (digital) change: Individual, systemic and learning-related perspectives. Digital transformation of learning organizations, pp.219-236.

Online

• Digital Transformation barrier. 2025. Online. Available through: < https://whatfix.com/blog/retail-digital-transformation/ >
• Primark. 2025. Online. Available through: < https://corporate.primark.com/en-gb/a/about-us/who-we-are >