So, what is digital transformation?
“Digital transformation involves redesigning business practices to incorporate digital technology within all facets of the business [S1].”
That might seem vague at first, and it should. Digital transformation will mean and require different things depending on the business. For some, this can mean how you change business processes. For others, it’s about the change in customer relations. Simply put – Digital transformation [DT] will look different for every company and enterprise.
What’s important to understand is that DT is more than changing processes. We can view it as a twofold process. First, there’s the integration of digital technologies into the actual work process. The other aspect is changing the actual culture of the workplace to something more streamlined and dynamic.
All this makes us ask why. What’s the good in digital transformation?
Some benefits of digital transformation are and self-explanatory, while others require more consideration. When things go digital, you have a lot more data to look at. This means you can clearly see what works and what doesn’t with a strategy or idea. As such, digital transformation gives you a chance to course-correct quickly and adjusts strategies as needed.
Other major benefits include:
- Improving efficiency and productivity
- Improve customer services relations
- Lead to data-driven decisions
- Eliminate redundancy
- Save costs of processes
Digital Transformation is a Process
It’s best not to think of digital transformation as an either-or process. Digital transformation offers loads of possibilities for those who want to optimize. DT can be partial, or it can change every aspect of a business.
When it comes to digital transformation, there is no one set path. You can adapt technologies as they best fit the needs of your enterprise. That means you can go all the way with digital transformation, or you can transform some parts and processes and leave others the same.
Remember that digital transformation is itself a process. It’s not a button you push that suddenly streamlines everything. Digital transformation proves more effective when the process is gradual and ongoing. That means that once some processes have been made digital, they may still need small tweaks and improvements afterward.
Taking Digital Transformation as a Whole
What’s important to understand is that DT is more than changing processes. We can view it as a twofold process. First, there’s the integration of digital technologies into the actual work process. The other aspect is changing the actual culture of the workplace to something more streamlined and dynamic.
All this makes us ask why. What’s the good in digital transformation?
Some benefits of digital transformation are and self-explanatory, while others require more consideration. When things go digital, you have a lot more data to look at. This means you can clearly see what works and what doesn’t with a strategy or idea. As such, digital transformation gives you a chance to course-correct quickly and adjusts strategies as needed.
