Digital technologies have drastically changed in the last decades, from the World Wide Web era to blockchain technology most recently. To be successful in DT, firms are faced with the level of adoption of new digital technologies, which is not always successful. The successful adoption depends on the which level firms adapt to and it affects to firm performance. It means that the more firms adapt to new digital technologies, the more it performs. Digital technologies also associates to the outcome of firms in multi dimensions such as increasing the openness of innovation and crowdsourcing.

However, incumbent’s adaption of technological changes (e.g., digital technologies) were not always successful because they may not process both technological knowledge and complementary asset and other mean to commercialize the new technologies. Scholars identify complementary assets as those particularly valuable for commercializing a new technology after a competence-destroying technological discontinuity including large scale distribution channels, brand value, reputation, and strong links to users. Other poeple argue that complementary assets are importantly mediating the relationship between incumbent performance before and after a radical technological disruption.

To adopt to the trends of new digital technologies, incumbents should own a positive attitude toward changes and technology with the support of top management who are aware of capabilities of new technologies. Firms should prepare the necessary knowledge about digital technologies and assets (digital assets, digital resources etc.) to be ready to lead changes.

To respond to disruptive technological changes, incumbents need to make digital strategies to transform their organizations. Scholars divide digital strategy into two novel concepts in the context of DT: Digital business strategy and Digital transformation strategy. Others also differentiate digital strategy into two concepts: Digital business strategy and Digital transformation and define and the mechanism of digital transformation. The emergency of strategy to respond to technological change which is beneficial for firms is interesting many scholars in last decade.

Dealing with the potentially anticipatable benefits of digital technologies, incumbent firms are facing with the difficulties to set their strategic digital goals. Digital strategy is formulated and executive by leverage digital technology to create differential values for customers. Digital strategy needs clear digital goals and visible vision which are supported by leaders who are able to influence on organizational structure and culture change, invent new processes, business model which are beneficial internal and external stakeholders because successful implementation of digital strategy requires the collaboration across the organization and the consistent connection between strategy formulation and implementation. Other scholars report that misalignments between the emergent strategy and resources give rise to tension for firms to shift towards the digital strategies.  

The diffusion of digital technologies enables incumbent firms to create novel values by leveraging these technologies which responds to digital customer behaviors. Developing digital business strategy which links the strategic and operational activities is attractive for many scholars. Digital business strategy is defined as the organizational strategy formulated and executed by leveraging digital resources to create differential value. It requires the fusion of IT strategy and firm strategy in which IT strategy is the functional level strategy and a fundamental driver for value creation and capture. Therefore, digital business strategy as a mechanism factor is imperative for incumbents to clearly define the way to create and capture values by leveraging the technological changes.

Digital integration is defined as the capability to align and integrate the new elements of digital technologies with the existing ones in the organization. Scholars  define digital integration capabilities into two main elements: integrating data and process for mass customization, and digitalization-enabled channel integration. Similarly, another describes it as the availability of data which generated by analytical tools, and digital channels.

Digital capabilities such as big data analysis capabilities, digital platform capabilities, digital infra-structure, collaborative and agile enterprise architecture, online informational capabilities are considered as the mechanism factors for the digital transformation. Other scholars argue that information technology (IT) including digital technologies such as clouding computing, mobile and analytical technology, social network positively relative to digitalization of firms. In order to make the successful DT, incumbents need to ensure the technological interoperability within and across their organization.