2018 is fast approaching and businesses are starting to stop and re-assess their plans. Australian businesses who are ahead, have realised that digital transformation is here, and technology and business are colliding.
However, with digital transformation comes digital disruption. The thought of your business being displaced by technology is threatening.
As usual, you can make this thought your enemy or friend.
If you have decided to go past the point of panicking, this article is for you! Over the next paragraphs we discuss how you can move forward with digital transformation in your business, covering 4 key pillars: your customers, your talent, your internal processes and your technology.
1. Take another look at your customers: Where do they want to “meet” you?
Central to every business is its customers. In the wake of digital transformation, customers have changed. The buyer is better informed on their options as well your value-add as a business.
There has been also been shift with how you meet and interact with potential customers. They now expect you to meet them on the platforms where their attention is, acknowledge their authority, and allow them to participate in the decision of what is best for them (rather than being told what to do).
What does that mean for your business?
It’s time to go digital (if you haven’t already!). It’s time to be a part of your buyer’s journey rather than telling them what to do… and it’s time to use the wealth of information you already have about your customers to your competitive advantage.
2. Prepare your team
To remain competitive in a digital world, your in-house talent will need to have the skills to compete. These skills are already in the marketplace, but it’s not about hiring a millennial. It means developing a team that is up-to-date due to continual learning and can react to changes with speed.
3. Reevaluate your internal processes
If internal processes are not giving your business the speed and agility you need, it might be time to review them.
It is critical for the fast-paced digital world to be maximizing your resources, which means automating routine tasks where possible.
Automating heavily manual and routine workflows that do not require expertise to perform will allow you to increase your teams’ productivity and reduce your expenses.
4. Re–strategise your technology
Viewing IT as a means to an end will no longer get you over the line. As you can see with digital transformation, technology and business are now integrated. This change requires a new relationship with your IT provider: a partnership.
With technology playing an integral part in your businesses performance, you need to be connected, current, secure and aligned with your Provider.
Digital transformation should not be feared. You can start making practical, proactive steps towards future-proofing your business today. Best of all, you don’t need to do it alone. By partnering with the right IT provider, you can ensure your businesses technology and future is accounted for.
