The turn of the decade forced people all over the world to separate due to the pandemic. Industries everywhere had to make difficult decisions on how to continue running business remotely amidst the uncertainty.
For some, that meant packing up laptops and a change of scenery. For others, there was a massive divide in how to bridge the gap in keeping business moving.
What was the difference that cost some companies extravagant amounts of money versus those where nothing much changed. Some had already jumped fully into the digital era, while others have been dragging their feet, relying on the patterns of the past in the hopes of staying afloat. Little did they know they’d be forced into a remote existence.
Digital processes have allowed companies to stay connected amidst vast changes in order to reach the prospects they need in order to grow. Although change is hard, we can only fight it so much until it forces itself due to necessity.
How do we create transformations while keeping the right mindset? Here’s how to stay ahead of the game.
Digital transformation is the process of integrating digital technology into business processes in order to update overall performance, approach, and customer experience.
When you think about a transformation, you should be considering people (employees and customers), technology, and processes. Any digital updates will affect all of those areas, and it’s important to lay the right foundation to be successful.
Transformation is no stranger to business: we no longer use the printed phone book for sales outreach or plug-in to dial-up connection. Why? Because time is money – and wasting time on inefficient processes is throwing revenue down the drain.
The flip side is that people don’t typically like change, so implementing new processes will likely cause some pushback from both internal employees and external customers.
Start by thinking about the people FIRST: how will these changes affect your team and your customers?
Listen with empathy and educate individuals about the benefits of thinking forward to a more efficient future of the company.
Here’s the thing: the digital landscape is rapidly evolving. If your company doesn’t stay ahead, someone else will. Customer demands are ever-changing, and that’s never going to stop. Transforming your business processes digitally will enable better internal functions, better customer service, and will bring greater value to all of your products and services.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take time and effort. Don’t lose sight of the goal.
Start by wrapping your mind around the areas that are foundational for change. Change management is necessary for digital transformation. That means educating your internal teams about what’s coming and getting them excited about taking part in it. The more you can give ownership to internal teams, the easier it will be to create real transformation.
Tips for digital transformation:
With a new perspective on the changes, your teams and your customers will trust you in the new processes and understand that it will help you become more competitive in your industry.
To many companies, digital transformation is very disruptive. Ever feel like you just want to be a renegade? Here’s your chance to be a disruptor.
The good thing is, that it doesn’t have to feel disruptive – with the right communication and change management processes in place, it’ll be a seamless move into making your company more agile, people-centric, and data-driven to enable you to make better decisions in the future.
Marketers have historically been the innovators in the business world, and it’s no different now. There are so many resources and tools at your fingertips that it can become overwhelming to decipher the best course of action. It can be helpful to consult a trusted agency partner to help you determine the best tools and processes to help your team.
The best transformations allow your teams and companies to be MORE connected, even if you’re in completely different time zones or countries.
When our client Certis USA came to us a couple of years ago, they knew it was time to get ahead of the competition due to the growing market. Since the company is in the emerging space of biological pesticides, they needed help putting processes in place within the digital space.
Here are some ways our team helped with their digital transformation:
Jeremy Adamson, Product Manager, Certis USA
If you’d like to read about a different digital transformation, check out our YMCA Case Study!
Change is tough, but as the digital world continues to move forward, digital transformations will be necessary and ongoing. The earlier you can get on board (or better yet, ahead), the better off you’ll be when it comes to having the competitive edge you need while keeping a people-first approach.