There is no doubt that digital transformation is crucial for organizations of all sizes. What makes it vital at the enterprise level, and how can companies leverage it to boost productivity? Is it necessary for organizations to enhance collaboration or embrace automation for seamless project management? Here is feedback obtained from experts in matters of digital transformation concerning the issue.
What is Digital Transformation?
Carl Fransen, the Founder and CEO of CTECH Consulting Group, has this to say about digital transformation.
Digital transformation (DT) is the adoption of current technology available to businesses. It serves to move companies from traditional on-premise services and networking equipment to cloud services. Cloud services have more advantages over traditional file and application servers that have been in use since the 1980s. Cloud services are a big step for companies that have invested heavily in hiring IT talent to design and manage a fully populated server room. They can now use their capital investments to build out DT infrastructure and keep it running.
Unfortunately, there exist two main roadblocks for the full implementation of digital transformation, Fransen notes. The first one is that companies are yet to come to the full realization of the business advantages each technology brings. As such, they are a little reluctant to adopt the current technology.
Secondly, IT specialists are still not fully conversant with how to deploy DT as it is still a relatively new technology not taught in schools. Most IT professionals are more focused on offering support for the existing systems. They do not give much thought to training up on the new technology.
“If organizations fully embrace digital transformation, it can bring with it massive productivity enhancements,” Fransen continues to say. Traditional systems provide five primary services:
- Application access
- Login and file security
- File sharing
- Printing
- Remote access.
Going to the cloud takes this a notch higher by providing full file collaboration. Employees don’t have to waste time waiting for someone to finish working on a file to access it. DT offers mobility to remote access as staff can access services from any device. The transformation also enhances security through identity management, conditional access, two-factor authentication, among others. DT improves application access is without the need for local servers.
The Importance of Digital Transformation at the Enterprise Level
Troy Drever, President of Pure IT, says that organizations must embrace digital transformation, given the current COVID-19 pandemic. By utilizing Microsoft’s Modern Workplace blueprint, companies can easily deploy a remote workforce that is as productive as in-office employees. They can collaborate from anywhere using state-of-the-art communication platforms. Employees can work together and update records in real-time, something that was never possible before.
Besides, the Modern Workplace blueprint is more secure against the proliferation of cybercrime. It has a high level of security woven into the infrastructure to keep data safe and secure.
His thoughts are backed by Jorge Rojas, a Partner at Tektonic Inc. Rojas says that digital transformation has the highest impact at the enterprise level. There are many people involved, and they are in different locations or even countries. Paper trails won’t work for such organizations, thus they should leverage DT to boost productivity. It can help improve business processes, HR operations, document signatures, meetings, interviews, and collaboration on documents.
Rojas feels that organizations should introduce automation to enhance collaboration and create a seamless project management process. This would especially be crucial in this pandemic era when face-to-face communication is a challenge.
People are reluctant to change, but companies are becoming more open to seeing how they can improve their processes. Many of them are at a point where the status quo is no longer sustainable.
Primary Barriers to DT Implementation
Unfortunately, the implementation process of DT is never without challenges. Guy Baroan, President of Baroan Technologies, says that one of the biggest reasons for digital transformation failure is a misalignment between the different parts of an organization and its goals. At various levels of operations, the various departments of an organization have objectives that differ from the rest of the units.
A leader in one of the departments may request a solution for collaboration, for example. Unfortunately, the leaders in the other sectors may not have the right answer. This is because they don’t have comprehensive information about the organization’s goals. Without a methodical process in place for digital transformation, getting the best solution may not be a straightforward process.
Lack of training is also another reason for DT implantation failure. Regardless of how good technology is; it is only as good as the person using it. Proper training helps remove a good amount of pressure and unconscious resistance that employees usually harbor toward new technology.
5 Steps for Successful DT implementation
For an organization to implement solutions that will enhance operations, it must review the different areas of the organization. They need to check their DT readiness in the areas they want to improve. They must assess what is working well in the organization and what needs improvement in the Operations, Finance, Marketing, HR, Sales, Client Experience, and Management. This way, the stakeholders can make the most impact on the enterprise by implementing a solution. When properly implemented, the solution could lead to enhanced collaboration, a new project management approach, or automation of processes.
The following five steps are also crucial in DT implementation.
- Align DT objectives and benchmarks with your business goals
- Understand the WHY of current technology and processes
- Build employee buy-in, and roll out in stages
- Pick the right technologies to implement
- Don’t be afraid to iterate
In DT implementation, it’s also crucial to have these essential toolsets for your company:
- Collaborative technology: It helps you manage data and active work across teams while maintaining security and mobility in equal measure.
- Communication technology: Communication technology plays a role in keeping your lines of communication open, no matter where you are working from.
- Social intranet: you must develop teams and promote good employee culture through socialized interaction and facilitated collaboration.
- CRM tools: There’s no better way to organize customer information smartly and safely than with a CRM tool. It also gives access to every employee who needs the data in real-time.
- Project management: Proper project management helps you increase overall efficiency and customer satisfaction. It also enhances seamless tracking of projects and integrity.
- Document management and cloud storage: Keep your processes and important documents secure and available through centralized document management in the cloud.
Benefits of Digital Transformation
Fransen continues to say that the benefits of technology are untold, especially in the post-pandemic world. Companies should embrace the surrounding technology to improve their processes and interactions with customers. Digital transformation will come in handy to help change operations and enhance value delivery at a fundamental level.
Baroan feels that DT could mean the difference between success and failure for a company. Organizations must know where within the departments DT should be applied for successful implementation.
Successful digital transformation implementation catapults an enterprise to new heights in efficiency and success. It ensures that everyone in the organization buys into the solution, and it significantly improves the chance for success of the new solution.
Embracing Digital Transformation
Many enterprises are yet to fully embrace digital transformation. Undoubtedly, the move from local-based traditional servers to could service can be hard and confusing. However, it brings with it several advantages that can help propel a business forward. With the help of digital transformation experts, organizations can hardly go wrong with the move.