If you haven’t made plans to invest in 2022, you are officially the minority.
Companies have no choice but to keep up with digital transformations or be left behind. Understanding what business outcomes matter the most to your organization should be the first major objective when embarking on an investment into your technology. It will guide the decision into choosing what technology to use as well as allowing departments to buy into the overall vision while rallying the team.
The main drivers leading you to invest in this upcoming year can be a number of things_
Customers. Companies are putting their customers first and understanding the yield in return is worth the investment. This requires investing in the ease of their experience by interacting more quickly with them, having multiple channels accessible for quick sales, making the customer experience enjoyable, etc. All of these are elements that will position the company to better business outcomes.
Competitors. Keep up, or better yet, distance yourself from other competitors as another driver. Technology continues to force companies to deliver quicker and reinvent themselves to stay in the race and prove why they are the better option. Competition drives innovation, and it is evermore important to stay ahead of the curve.
Insights. It’s not uncommon to have companies where the data is scattered and team members are not talking to each other. Companies are investing in connecting various aspects of their data, such as from M&A or systems simply not talking to each other, which has led to inefficiencies and lack of insights into what the market is signaling the business.
The forgotten word in digital transformation is transformation. For a successful plan, involve the people of your organization. Break barriers between departments. Get the teams involved early by knowing what they do and understanding the impact of change. People willing to change how they do things will enable transformations. Team readiness is a necessity. Rally teams, align them on the overall vision, and choose GPO’s that will push along the objectives. But, be prepared to move on from people who lack the competencies in skillset and change. Resistance can sabotage projects. Not everyone is ready for transformation.
Next, get to know the data. What’s the current landscape of the organization? Where are there walls and systems not talking to each other? What’s missing and what will it take to incorporate? All these elements will help determine the current state to then define the building blocks for a digital transformation. Reliable data on any technology is key. By evaluating all of this beforehand, you are ready to determine what needs to change to a digital solution and give you the edge that is being critical to drive yourself apart from the competition. After all, data is said to be like the new oil; its value depends on cleaning, refining, and using that oil to fuel something meaningful.
Transformations are held back mainly by practical and operational challenges such as lack of reliable data and lack of skilled professionals. Get these things aligned with the desired business outcomes and your digital transformation will be ready for a true transformation in every sense of the word.
Don’t know where to start? Talk to the Aptimized team to get a professional opinion on where your organization stands. Our certified experts are experienced in identifying root causes and developing strategic solutions to resolve the issues. Contact us today to take the first step in your digital transformation journey.