Michael Lissack
how the same terms carried different meanings in their respective fields, creating shared understanding before attempting terminol- ogy standardization. • Living Glossary Development : Instead of creating a static ter- minology guide, they developed a continuously updated digital glossary that evolved alongside their transformation, incorporat- ing new terms as capabilities developed while maintaining core definitional stability. Results: This approach enabled Siemens Healthcare to develop a coherent linguistic framework that supported their digital transformation without alienating either traditional manufacturing stakeholders or newer digital health specialists. Their success demonstrates how organizations can integrate different linguistic traditions during digital transformation rather than allowing one to simply replace the other.
Walmart: Linguistic Bridge-Building During Omnichannel Integration
As Walmart evolved from primarily store-based retail to an integrated omnichannel approach combining physical and digital commerce, they needed to create linguistic coherence between traditionally separate retail and e-commerce domains. This integration required developing language that worked effectively across different operational contexts while main- taining sufficient specialization for specific environments.
Key Strategies:
• Linguistic Field Studies : Walmart conducted structured obser- vation of how language functioned in different contexts—dis- tribution centers, stores, e-commerce operations, and customer service—documenting actual usage rather than just formal definitions.
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