How to start the digital transformation of your business?
The digital transformation doesn’t just refer to adopting new technologies; it’s also about changing your approach to business.
Oftentimes, it requires modifying your style of leadership, shifting your business model, and discovering new streams of revenue. And since every case and every transformation is different, there’s no one solution that will suit everyone. However, there’s a universal set of tips that you can follow to start off your digital journey the right way.
First and foremost – before you can figure out how to begin the digital transformation process, you should know what digital transformation really means for your organisation, and why you want to proceed.
What does digital transformation mean for your business?
This process should be structured on two tracks: technology and culture. The reason behind this is simple: any legacy modernisation or the adaptation of a new digital solution should go hand in hand with your employees’ understanding and internalisation of a new, digital style of working.
It doesn’t have to be revolutionary; quite the opposite. Incremental modernisation and the gradual creation of a digital-first culture within your organisation will give people time to learn and adapt, step by step.
Why should the digital transformation become a no. 1 priority for your company?
There are 5 main reasons why:
- Digital transformation is no longer just a buzzword
It’s a real process that will help you stay competitive in today’s market – especially within a rapidly changing business environment. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many organisations to digitise their business models, go remote or move services from on-site to cloud computing – in order to survive and/or develop. - Digital transformation is something that both your customers and your employees need
Your clients demand increasingly higher quality products and services, while your employees want to work in a modern workplace that can offer them tools to make their work easier and more efficient. - It enables better operational efficiency and agility
Your organisation needs innovative solutions that will help you achieve satisfactory levels of productivity and adaptability in constantly changing conditions. - It allows you to make faster, more accurate decisions
On every level of management and from anywhere you want.
If your digital transformation strategy includes transforming into a data-driven organisation, then business intelligence solutions and gathering information in order to turn them into actionable insights will be a massive help to you during the decision-making process. And moving to the cloud will allow you to access your data from all over the world, without any VPNs. - Digitisation is crucial in terms of security
Legacy modernisation will help you take better care of both your customers’ data as well as your own. You should also have a solid security policy and an established set of procedures in place. And if you decide to start cooperation with an IT partner, they should also have an ISO 27001 certificate.
How to start your digital transformation journey?
We’ve divided this process into 5 smaller chunks:
- Current state assessment
Create an overview of the processes and operations that your company runs. You need to see the full picture of what’s going on within your organisation.
Identify blockages and obstacles that are slowing you down and define areas that have to be digitised. - Digital vision
Set your business goals. This will help you clarify your vision.
Define the gaps between your current state and your future vision, and evaluate how closing these gaps can influence your business – preferably in measurable terms. - Roadmap
Define your biggest priorities so you know where to start and what can wait a little longer.
Prepare a general plan of your digital transformation for the months and years ahead. - Implementation
Decide whether you can do this with your in-house team or if it’s better to hire a software development company:
If you’re a digital native – you may only need to make some small but consistent improvements that can be done in-house or with a little help from a small IT agency.
If not – you may need a solid IT partner to verify your vision, help construct a roadmap, and guide you through the transformation process.
For example, at Future Processing we not only take care of your digital transformation as a whole, but we can also help you analyse your company processes from the very beginning, discover your needs and create a specific roadmap to follow.
Outsourcing – and nearshoring in particular – also has several additional advantages: you will automatically have experts in various areas on your team, access to the newest technologies, and a flexible and cost-effective cooperation model. All of these lead straight to the increased efficiency of your business. - Business culture evolution
Introduce your digital transformation strategy to all of your employees in order to make them feel like they are a vital part of the process.
Step by step, start transforming towards a digital-first culture. Organise workshops, be transparent, bet on open communication and listen to feedback.
Conclusion: Start your digital transformation now!
If you haven’t started your digital transformation yet – now is a good time to begin. And if you’ve already been walking this path for some time, it might be a good idea to accelerate to jogging now. This is the only way to stay competitive these days.
Also, remember that you don’t have to go on this journey alone. We can help you with the entire process and support you every step of the way. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you feel like you need some professional help with the digital transformation process.
