Digital transformation is changing business models. It is disrupting traditional systems and processes. Digitization is transforming the ways customers interact with businesses. As a company, adopting technology is a significant change in the way a business operates and, if not done correctly, can have an adverse impact. Let us look at the steps a company should follow to transform itself and benefit from it.
This is the most critical step for a business looking to transform itself. Analyzing the current state and identifying areas where you can improve is key to successful digital transformation.
If you want to provide a seamless digital buying experience to the customers, then analyze all the touchpoints of the customer purchase lifecycle to identify. Look closely to unearth customer pain points and bottlenecks, if any.
Analyzing the current systems and processes will help companies identify areas to improve and loopholes in systems.
Post-analysis and identifying areas to improve, the next step is to strategize the right technological solutions to help you make changes effectively.
Create a list of specifications for the solution you want to implement. Analyze any existing solutions you may have in place and plan how you want them to interact with the new systems you want to introduce.
Look at the available options and compare them to your specifications. Also, explore the possibility of developing a customized solution if the parity between the existing solutions available in the market doesn’t fulfill your requirements.
Once the solution you want to adopt is finalized, assemble a team from different departments and assign specific roles and responsibilities.
A cross-functional team will provide an opportunity for all the departments to share their inputs and ensure that all aspects of a business-wide change are covered. Also, this step will reduce the change resistance from the employees as each department will have their representatives, and they will ensure that the new systems will help them improve their efficiency and productivity. If need be, these employees will act as champions for their specific departments and help counter any resistance from their colleagues.
The top management should also be actively involved in this process to ensure that things don’t drag on and the plans are adhered to diligently.
Read more – The Involvement of Top Management in ERP implementation
Making rapid changes can be overwhelming and complex. Hence, it is advisable that you do it phase-wise. Also, this gives you a chance to ensure that the changes implemented are stable and are working as expected.
Any glitches or inconsistencies can be managed as they would not impact the overall functioning of the business. It is also easier to monitor, control, and implement changes quickly if required.
Once a milestone is achieved in terms of implementation, move on to the next phase until all the changes are done and work cohesively without interruptions.
Once the new systems and processes are stable and performing as expected at the end of each phase, scale them. Scaling will require you to implement these systems on a wide scale, including different locations, different departments, etc. It may also include integrating this new system entirely with the existing systems and processes.
Once you scale it, keep a close watch on the performance and see if it matches the desired expectations and results you expected it to meet during the planning phase. Fine-tune it slightly, if required, but ensure no major changes are implemented. If, for some reason, many changes are required, do so in a phase-wise manner.
It is imperative that you have a risk mitigation strategy if things don’t go as planned. It will ensure that in case of any untoward circumstance, the business is not impacted negatively, or in the worst-case scenario, the negative impact is manageable.
Also, have stringent monitoring and control mechanisms to ensure that any issues are identified and dealt with at the earliest. The team responsible should have a clear idea of the steps to take and their roles and responsibilities during such challenging times.
As a parting note, remember that digital transformation is a continuous process. As newer and more advanced technologies are introduced, you have to work on leveraging them to benefit your business.
If you want to adopt digital transformation in your business and are looking for an experienced partner to guide you, connect with experts at CocoonIT. We help businesses in their digital transformation journey by delivering Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Business Automation tools, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and other technology solutions services and support.
CCIT Cloud (CocoonIT Services) is an expert Microsoft Cloud Solutions and Implementation Partner. Organisations around the globe, partner with CCIT to harness the full potential of Microsoft Dynamics, Azure Cloud and Power Platform.
