Most businesses nowadays use some form of modern technology to keep their data in check, monitor progress, and improve collaboration between teams. However, only a small percentage of businesses have fully embraced digital transformation and renounced their old ways of doing things. To no surprise, these are the businesses where productivity is booming and workflow happens smoothly.
But what exactly is digital transformation and what it means to fully embrace it?
Digital transformation is a broad term with a wide array of implications and pathways, and it’s never the same for two companies (regardless of similarities). But everything boils down to using technology in everyday interactions with customers, employees, and business partners & collaborators. This means that digital technology will be integrated into every aspect of the business, modifying and creating processes and experiences. Overall, the digital transformation process is complex and requires both a technological and a cultural transformation.
This may be the reason why so many businesses would rather operate in a hybrid environment where both technology and standard methods are used. Still, this is not an efficient way of doing business and improving productivity. Therefore, a business interested in turning a new page should first discuss their intentions with professionals experienced in consulting for digital transformation and who know how to guide a company through the process.
Meanwhile, there are some steps you can take in order to ensure the project will be successful.
#1: Prepare People for Change
Companies that best embraced digital transformation managed to do so due to a culture oriented towards innovation and change. However, not all companies have this type of culture, so it’s important to identify your current situation and understand how this type of shift in work processes and even management will affect the employees.
Next, find the best method to prepare the key people in your organization, who will be then tasked with carrying the news and discussing it with the people they manage. Also, expect lots of different reactions and opinions, and make sure your door stays open so people can express their concerns and worries. Keep in mind that the news and recent discussions about using more technology in the workplace may scare older employees and make sure everyone understands the positive and negative implications of this change.
#2: Analyze Your Current Situation
• How is your company handling interdepartmental communication?
• How is the data collected, used, and stored?
• Is there a Project Management tool the company uses, and if so, is it used properly?
• How satisfied are customers with your company’s performance and customer service?
• What is your current technology usage status?
All these and more are questions that will allow you to understand the weak spots of your current organizational structure. You may also find assets in the form of talented and open-minded employees who may have already started to integrate technology with their work.
#3: Shift your Focus on the Customer
Digital transformation is about your company getting more productive, but the focus should be on the customer and not on the product. This means that your productivity efforts need to be oriented towards creating products and services that are in line with the target audience’s preferences and wishes.
In a highly digitalized work environment, it gets easier to keep track of the market and trends since access to data is faster and data processing happens in real-time.
Wrap Up
In summary, it’s important that businesses everywhere accept that technology is here to stay. In fact, the use of technology in a work environment is steadily increasing, which means that more tech-related jobs will become available in the near future. So, any business that wishes to stay competitive must find a way to accept and implement digital transformation.
