Why talk about digital transformation? What exactly is digital transformation?
Not a week goes by without me hearing the words digital transformation, digitalization, cloud solutions, data, the cloud, CRM, BI, digital performance, DevOps, cybersecurity, data protection, and the list goes on...
And not an hour goes by without me checking my iPhone, or rather my amazing tiny pocket computer. This little gadget has completely changed the way I live by giving me answers to so many everyday questions.
What impact is all this having on our habits and our organizations?
To get a clearer picture, our team recently visited the Salon de la Transformation Numérique (TN), a digital transformation trade show. Talking with the specialists and representatives there, we noticed that many of them used complicated words to try to convince us of one simple thing: your organization or business needs to review its business processes ASAP to integrate digital tools if it wants to stay competitive and thrive.
Whoa, it’s not as simple as that!
Digital transformation is the process by which an organization fully integrates digital technologies into all of its activities.
With that in mind, a few examples of digital transformation should help make things clearer.
Transforming a business process
TRAINING
These days, who hasn’t attended a webinar? You can learn whenever and wherever suits you best.
Who still prints training guides when a good PDF does the job better? Who would have thought my painting teacher would be in France (remote online training)?
ONLINE HELP
Many businesses find it worthwhile to move their phone support to the web. Creating an effective help desk lets you serve customers 24/7/365. Done well, it can help improve the customer experience and reduce friction between customers, products, services and the business.
BILLING
To save time and money, it can be worthwhile to offer online payment. Businesses that offer monthly subscription services find many benefits in this kind of digital transformation. Customers come out ahead too (especially when they can check their accounts online).
QUESTIONNAIRES
A healthcare organization has you prepare for your first appointment by filling out a questionnaire online. Not only does this give them a better understanding of your needs, it also simplifies data collection.
SENDING PROMOTIONAL OFFERS
Hey, it’s my blog post, so I’ll take the opportunity to suggest replacing your paper promotional offers with email. Not only is it more economical and eco-friendly, it also offers plenty of other advantages: speed, follow-ups, confirmations, no stamps to buy, no printing costs, and more.
BOOKING APPOINTMENTS
Efficiency with a capital E! Creating an online calendar and letting users choose their own appointment slot has become common practice. You can even offer last-minute appointments when Jean-Guy doesn’t show up for his, all with the right digital tools.
ESTIMATES
Recently, I had a landscaping contractor over. Surprise! He used an iPad app to measure my yard and accurately estimate what I needed. What a great impression he made by emailing me the results of his analysis. I signed with the click of a button! LOL
Transforming an industry
UBER VS. TAXIS
Think of Uber, whose mobile app completely upended the taxi industry. Fares adjusted to supply and demand, a reliable app that shows you the cost before you leave, a payment system that reduces errors and cash handling, a rating system for customers and drivers: in short, a new way of doing things. A digital transformation!
KINDLE VS. BOOKSTORES
Today, you can also read a book on a small tablet. In a few clicks, you can buy and download your book. No more paper, just pixels.
HOTELS VS. AIRBNB
Going to see your mother-in-law on Quebec’s North Shore? In the past, your only options were the Motel du Havre or the Auberge Boréale. Today, you can rent Réjean’s house or Constance’s cottage on Airbnb.
RENOASSISTANCE, FIND A ROOFER, YELP
Getting work done around the house used to mean flipping through the Yellow Pages or the local paper’s classified ads. Now you can get three different experts to weigh in on your project by using matchmaking services like RenoAssistance.ca.
THE WEATHER NETWORK
Checking the weather... nothing could be easier with an app like The Weather Network. Who still watches the weather forecast on TV?
Do we even need to talk about Netflix, Amazon and the rest? I think naming them is enough.
As you can see, digital transformation is also about change management and evolving your practices. Wouldn’t it be worth considering expert support to help you? Especially when these changes may alter the roles and tasks of employees who could be reluctant to welcome “progress.”
In conclusion, your organization needs to stay alert and identify the processes that could benefit from going digital.
Even the Quebec government is getting on board (in French)!
So what are you waiting for?