We have all heard of digital transformation but what really is it and how will it affect your business?

Digital Transformation – What is it?

Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into an organisation, it will affect the overall operations of the business – with the aim of improving, streamlining and automating processes. Digital transformation must be integrated into your business strategy in order to prosper and grow but will also add significant value to your business.

Having a digital transformation strategy will also help to minimise disruption during unexpected situations. For example, during the start of the pandemic, many companies had to adapt to remote working with minimal notice and within a short space of time. Those companies that had already set up remote working into their business, prior to the pandemic, were able to continue running as normal whereas those companies that had no procedures in place were significantly more affected by it.  

How Will Digital Transformation Add Value to Your Business?

Greater Flexibility

Adopting new technologies allows for great flexibility. By moving to cloud, you have better accessibility to systems, wherever you are. This is particularly important in this day where hybrid working and working from home are becoming increasingly popular.

Scalability

If you are on the cloud, you can easily increase your storage capacity as your company grows, for less costs then replacing your physical server.

Better Use of Resources

The implementation of digital transformation strategies means that certain processes will be automated, therefore staff will not need to waste time doing certain tasks such as time-consuming admin. Instead, that time and effort can be spent on more valuable and profitable tasks.

Reduced Costs

Certain manual processes will be eliminated and replaced with automated systems, saving time and resources – reducing overall costs.

Better Understanding of Customer Insights

Using digital tools to gain a better understanding of customer’s needs will enable your business to adapt your products/services to better meet the needs of your customers; whilst also improving the customer journey and optimizing your marketing strategy. This will in turn lead to greater customer satisfaction.

Improved Levels of Communication

New technologies across the workplace will ensure consistency and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal. This will lead to improved levels of communication, both internally and externally.

Helping with Globalisation

For those companies that want to expand into international markets, digital transformation is a way of streamlining and systemizing processes, ensuring consistency across the globe. Of course, there are certain things that will need to be adapted to meet the needs of the local markets, but operationally that level of consistency is vital for a company looking to operate internationally.

Increased Profitability

Happier staff, increased productivity, better communication, reduced costs and higher customer satisfaction all lead to one outcome – increased profitability!

Examples of Digital Transformation:

Every company will have their own aims and desired outcomes from digital transformation. Therefore, the methods that they adopt will vary significantly.

Below are just a few of the many examples:

Cloud

Cloud is a form of non-physical storage, it stores data online rather than through a server. This means that systems can be easily accessed anywhere – on any device. Companies will no longer need a dedicated sever room and it is therefore ideal for companies who want to operate remotely or implement hybrid working.

Business Intelligence

Business intelligence software is designed to gain a deep insight into raw data. This will empower everyone to make more informed decisions by gaining a better understanding of market trends, customer interactions, manufacturing plans, inventories and other areas of business.

Systems Integration

In most businesses, there are “islands of information” which is data/information stored in one system that should be available in other systems. The traditional route to resolve this is often duplication of data entry, which is both time consuming and error prone. By linking systems, the flow of data can enable greater insight of what is happening within the business in real-time, ensuring complete accuracy , which in turn frees up valuable resource for productive tasks, whilst empowering the decision making process.

New Software

There is a vast amount of software available, which has been designed to improve processes leading to better results, whilst also saving time and money. If a software isn’t available off-the-shelf, Minerva can design bespoke software with all your desired functionalities.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is the development of computer systems to enable effective decision making and problem solving. The aim of AI is to increase efficiency, automate processes and save time.

Review Your Existing Processes and Software

When considering your digital transformation strategy, you should start by taking a fresh look at your existing processes and business software. It will also be worthwhile reviewing the following questions:

Are You Using Your Business Software Effectively?

When was the last time you reviewed the way you do your everyday tasks? Whether that’s financial systems, CRM or simply just filing, are you using the most cost effective, timely methods? Or are you wasting several hours a week/month on outdated and manual processes? You may be surprised to discover exactly how much time is saved by moving to new software.

Are You Still Filing Paper Documents?

Filing is one of the most simple yet key areas of improvement, in terms of process efficiencies. Document management solutions are the new, more efficient way of storing documents. DMS can be integrated across most applications so that you can securely capture and store documents, which can be instantly retrieved whenever required.

Are You Rekeying Data into Your Finance System?

We all know it is time consuming and error prone, but it’s “the way we’ve always done it.” Many people like to stick to what they know and often feel overwhelmed at the thought of changing the way they do something. However, automated imports are very easily addressed, relatively low cost and have quick ROIs.

Do You Spend Hours or Days Each Month Re-Jigging Reports?

Have you ever spent hours doing this to then worry that no-one reads the reports because the content is confusing and not engaging enough? If this is the case, it’s worth considering a different approach. Business Intelligence software is the ideal solution. BI is much easier to use then you would expect, and the returns are endless.

Minerva – Helping You to Move Forward Digitally

With over 35+ years’ experience in the industry, Minerva has helped many companies to excel by incorporating new IT solutions into their business. Our team are constantly training in order to keep ahead of the latest technological developments, allowing us to provide you with the most practical, up to date solutions. Digital transformation is inevitable, but by having a strategy in place, you can ensure a smooth transition into the new digital world.

Give us a call on: 01707 607100 or leave us an enquiry to discuss how we can help your company move forward.