If you’re wondering what digital transformation is, well the likelihood is, you’re probably going through it.

Over the last year many businesses have been forced to completely change how they work, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Whether that means communicating over Zoom or embracing a more fundamental change to the way you do business, few organisations have stayed the same.

You could see the recent crisis as a wakeup call and hopefully many of the changes that have been made will be permanent.

That might be updating your software or storage to more cloud-based or hybrid solutions. We’ve talked about the benefits of this in other blogs. Alternatively, it may just be making use of unified comms or other digital forms of communication.

If you weren’t already considering how you can digitally transform your business, you certainly should be now.

But hey, we appreciate it’s no walk in the park. Change can be difficult and intimidating. The prospect of ‘transforming digitally’ may seem alien and not something that your employees will easily accept.

To help, we’ve compiled a few tips that should help your journey to digital transformation be a bit smoother.

GET EVERYONE ONBOARD

Obviously, a big hurdle to overcome is addressing any reluctance your company’s employees may have to change. If they don’t feel comfortable with the direction your company is going in, morale and productivity are going to dip and the change will be a lot more strenuous.

In many cases you will be asking them to completely evolve work structures that have been in place the whole time they have worked for the company.

Even if there are clear faults in the system, people will still trust it because they’re used to it.

So, the benefits of these changes need to be clearly communicated. Common concerns need to be addressed. Digital transformation needs to be seen as a necessary step forward, not an optional nicety.

Who you have communicating this is also important.

Get the digital evangelists in your organisation to support their teams during this transition. The message needs to come from within the company not just from the top.

LOOK AT THE BUSINESS GROWTH OPPORTUNITY

This isn’t just about getting with the times. This has the potential to move your business forward and allow you to grow as a company.

You may have some teething problems to begin with but in the long run it will be for the greater good.

What is this great good you speak of? Well, the main thing will be the streamlining of business processes, enabling things to run faster.

For example, automation in accounting software means that sales orders for regular customers get processed faster, and more sales can be made.

It’s important to find the solution that works for your business of course but the chances are it will remove the complexity that currently exists, causing things to get done slower.

Simplification and streamlining your business may just mean the ease in which your staff can work remotely.

If they can do this without stress or disruption, they can enjoy the benefits of remote working and you can have a more motivated workforce.

SEE THIS CHANGE FROM A CUSTOMER FOCUS, NOT A PRODUCT FOCUS

One reason businesses can be resistant to change is that they are thinking about the product first and foremost.

Thinking about how the product fits into your supply chain may lead you to question whether the new digital model really fits your business.

But if you think about how automation, safer cloud-based customer data, and digital customer service can help your customer, you get a whole new perspective.

Digital transformation has already presented many solutions, such as the things above, that help businesses to better serve their customers.

This then makes them more competitive and desirable from a consumer point of view.

For example, the use of chatbots speeds up the customer service process and is usually more appealing to the customer. They don’t have to go through a chain of people on the phone and their problems can usually be solved quicker.

TAKE SMALL STEPS AT FIRST

We get it, starting digital transformation in your business is a daunting prospect.

Upending systems that have been in place since you started and potentially irritating employees as you attempt to change the business for the better is hard work.

So, make it easier. You don’t necessarily have to change everything at once.

See how you get along with changing one piece of software at a time or making a slow transition over to a different storage solution.

You can transform your whole business one step at a time. By the time the last thing is changed it won’t be so much of a shock to the system. It will feel like a natural progression.

HOW CAN WE HELP WITH YOUR TRANSFORMATION?

The bottom line is, you need to digitally transform your business. And the sooner the better.

Things are changing and as the businesses you deal with start to transform, it will make even more sense for you to change too.

We can help with a big part of your digital transformation.

Whether that’s integrating the cloud into your business in new ways through new accounting and CRM software or just offering advice on what steps to take.

Get in touch with any questions you have and we’d be happy to help you find the right solution for your business.