Digital Transformation from A to Z
Why is it necessary, what to watch out for, and how to make a smooth transition with little stress for the organization
In today’s rapidly evolving technological world, companies are realizing more and more that the systems and processes that once supported their growth are now keeping them behind the competition.
In this article, we will discuss the topic of digital transformation and what it means for the business.
Why is it necessary?
It is a well-known fact that in order to stay competitive, companies do not have a choice but to incorporate and integrate various cutting-edge technologies into their business and to do so in a timely manner. They also face a new breed of customers - the ones that expect companies to know and understand their unique needs and satisfy them.
According to Salesforce’s report “State of the Connected Customer 2022”:
- 56% of customers expect all offers made to them to be personalized;- 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations;
- and 88% of them say that the experience a company provides is as important as its product or services.
All of this suggests that to satisfy these demands, companies need to use the power of technology in all aspects of their business. From their marketing and sales, all the way through to their service and delivery.
According to the “Small business trends” report by Salesforce, the effective use of technology has been a huge differentiator for growing small and medium-sized companies, compared to the declining SMEs. Small businesses that are expanding prioritize customer service and are more likely to adopt new technology to help them digitalize various aspects of business, while the rest act more conservatively and lag behind.
Gaining a competitive advantage in today’s world is closely related to the level of a company’s digitalization and the speed of transformation. It is a matter of an all-encompassing, simultaneous digital transformation of all aspects of a business both processes, and products and services.
When digitalizing a business, it is crucial to take into account the delicate balance that needs to be achieved between the legacy systems used by a business and the new digital solutions that are to be integrated. Whether we are talking about a CRM, BI, or ERP system, it is important to keep in mind that the information and data contained in the current IT infrastructure are of critical importance and must be very carefully migrated to a new system. This process requires experience and professional guidance that is often lacking in many traditional companies. Therefore, having a reliable consulting partner is key, as many businesses cannot cope with driving digitization forward on their own.
The benefits
“After every rain, comes a rainbow”, people say. Once you optimize and reorganize your processes, and integrate the new and existing IT solutions, you can reap the rewards. This includes unified data, stored and accessible in one place by all parties that require access to it, improved security and data management, a customer-centric business model,improved and automated internal and external business processes.
Furthermore, working efficiently means fewer costs. The collaboration between departments is improved, there is a higher degree of transparency and all processes run smoothly. Digitalization increase employees’ motivation as well as boosting work satisfaction and innovation and creativity among the teams. On the other hand, satisfied employees make customers happy and increase their loyalty to the company and the brand.
If you are not experienced, choose the right “partner in crime”
Digital transformation has become inevitable in today’s world. All businesses that wish to stay ahead and thrive need to consider the degree to which they can further integrate technology into their processes. This process requires not only operational change but also a cultural one and strong will on behalf of the management and employees to challenge how they have done things and be eager to experiment in the future.
In many cases, businesses do not have internal expertise in digital transformation and may not be able to execute it the way they need to achieve the desired results and expand the market. Make sure your digital transformation adds value to your company. When there is a lack of knowledge and experience in digitalization it is critical for businesses to choose a professional partner to drive them through the process. Selecting the right partner for defining and implementing your digital transformation strategy and integrating the appropriate solutions is a tough task. Consider choosing a partner who can not only support you from a technical point of view but who can also provide useful know-how about the best practices in management and who has extensive experience with projects in this domain.
