What Is Digital Transformation? How Can You Achieve It?

What if we told you that most companies are already on the path to digital transformation? If you leverage things like digital invoices, online accounting software packages, and similar digital solutions – you’re already digitalising your business! In the words of Bon Jovi, “we’re halfway there”. And yet, digital transformation is so much more. It’s transformative in nature, which means that true digital transformation is a long-term commitment to being agile and changing with the times.

If you struggled to continue trading in your business once you were forced to shut shop for an indefinite period of time physically, your digital transformation wasn’t far along enough to keep you going. That’s where digitalisation is most critical: in connectivity. Between employees and the business, clients and the business, the business and its employees, etc. The goal is to future-proof your business with digitalisation, and here’s how you can do it:

Digital Transformation

If we were to define the term broadly, it would be that digital transformation is a process whereby the adoption of digital solutions transform a business, through replacing technology with newer technology, and replacing non-digital or manual processes with digital ones. It’s a difficult thing to define because digital transformation will occur differently in different organisations. Nevertheless, it is an embracing of technological advancement, allowing it to elevate more areas of the business of the benefit of all stakeholders.

3 Key Drivers Of Digital Transformation

Leaders

The higher-ups are the ones that make the decisions. CFOs and other leaders decide how money should be spent; which areas of the business should be invested in. If these individuals don’t understand and appreciate digital transformation, it will be a difficult initiative to get off of the ground. Employees are also vital transformation drivers, and they will look up to their leaders for guidance on the digital transformation process.

Staff

As mentioned, the people on the ground are the real drivers of transformation. They will, after all, be the ones mostly having to make use of the new digitalised systems and technology. If a business doesn’t have the buy-in of staff members, adoption of the digitalisation will be hindered and may require substantially more time to facilitate. For this reason, education on the benefits and incentives of digital transformation should be an organisational priority.

Systems

Finally, technology will also drive digital transformation – but not just the business’s tech. An example of where technology proliferation let businesses and other establishments down was on the consumer end. Countless employees, school children, and other professionals don’t have sufficient connectivity access at home. So, digital transformation is about pimping out a business with super-fast internet, new Wi-Fi 6 networks, and adopting digital processes like emailed invoices and online accounting systems – but it’s also about ensuring that all stakeholders have sufficient personal digitalised solutions (like smartphones and internet connectivity).

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Want to learn how important digital transformation really is, and how to facilitate it for any business? Start your path to being a professional digital transformation facilitator with an accredited Digital Transformation course from the Digital School of Marketing. We are looking forward to helping you to achieve your dreams!