The concept of digital transformation is a broad topic with many different meanings. What business you are in will dictate the specific factors involved. For many companies, the pandemic jump-started their digital transformation. Others simply embraced the changes they already had underway. Aspects of digital transformation that speak to all organizations include the need to be adaptive, resilient, and relevant to customers and stakeholders. Here is a look at what it means to adopt digital transformation within your organization.
Digital transformation is a foundational change in how an organization operates and delivers value to its customers and stakeholders. The idea of digital transformation begins when senior leadership considers the existential issue of relevancy. Will your organization choose to stay in-step with the market, fall behind, or lead the way with the competition? Digital transformation is not about building new technologies upon a legacy foundation. You want to compare current and legacy business applications and processes to new digital options. These may be more effective and deliver the increased efficiency that customers expect. You also gain competitive advantages that set your organization apart.
By adopting digital transformation, you can differentiate your business. Give employees, business partners, and clients the ability to work with you when they want, where they want, and with any device they choose. In short, digital transformation reshapes your business to deliver better customer service, attract new talent, boost employee productivity, and ultimately increase your bottom line. Take a look around your business. Can you identify areas where your business would benefit from a digital transformation? Here are some areas to consider:
Consider the experience customers are having with your business and what impression it makes. Do they expect to interact in a more personal and efficient manner than an email or a "contact us" form? If so, what is their preferred method of communication? Do they want instant messaging with a representative while on your website or a self-service portal to navigate your services?
All organizations want to reduce process friction and waste within their businesses. In many cases, the constant stop and start of a manual process can be augmented or replaced by a digital application. Some examples include getting your existing systems or applications to "talk" to each other, modernizing a core business system to incorporate web-functionality and self-service features, or a device-agnostic mobile application for your end-users. Any one of the above can help reduce frustration and even capture potential lost opportunities.
Waiting to see what happens next is becoming risky business. There is a good chance you have already seen disruption in your industry. During the early days of the pandemic, organizations that led the way in adopting a cloud/mobile infrastructure could pivot and adapt quickly to the business disruption. This seamless transition was not the case for many companies that had to innovate on the back end and now risk becoming the one that falls behind.
Just like your customers, are prospective hires getting the best impression of your company? How easy or difficult is it to navigate the application process online? Do they see modern applications in use? For many organizations, the need for digital interviews and remote onboarding suddenly became an integral part of talent acquisition. The ability to quickly adapt was a game-changer for those organizations seeking top talent.
Change is afoot, so don't lose momentum in the coming year. Prioritize technology investments that will continue to drive a digital transformation within your business. As with any business initiative, be sure you have organizational buy-in. Communicating business transformation initiatives will help everyone prepare for the coming changes and ensure you are all working towards the same goals.
If you have any questions on the topic of Digital Transformation, email us at info@systemsengineering.com or call 888.624.6737. Customers, please reach out to your Account Managers.