Digital Transformation Has Many Meanings
As a business owner or manager you probably see the phrase “digital transformation” a few times each day. It’s the big buzz on technology and business sites from Forbes to Harvard Business Review.
If you take a spin around the latest tech article sites, you’ll find that the phrase means something slightly different to each publication. That’s because there’s no single definition of the phrase. Digital transformation means something a bit different for each entity which undertakes the process.
Digital Transformation, So Many Definitions
Depending on what your company does, there are numerous definitions, applications and descriptions. Here are just a few examples:
According to the Enterprisers Project:
“Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It’s also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure.”
According to Salesforce:
“Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new — or modify existing — business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This reimagining of business in the digital age is digital transformation.”
And if you dive into this article by CIO.com, you’ll see three different definitions in the first several paragraphs.
We’ve shared all of these different definitions in order to make our initial point all over again. There are numerous definitions. And with so many different takes on the topic, it’s hard to define what it means specifically for your business.
Consider The Specific Benefits & Outcomes Instead Of The Definitions
If you’re a human resources manager and the current system for time-off requests is lacking, a transformation with an automated workflow from initial request to approval would be incredibly valuable. That’s a transformation using a digital means, right?
Has your AP manager mentioned on numerous occasions that outstanding invoices are a problem? That the current system of phone call reminders just isn’t cutting it any longer? If so, setting up accounts payable and invoice process automation system that gets invoice paid quickly with less employee man hours would be a fantastic outcome. That’s another transformation.
Of course these are one-off solutions. Your business would probably benefit from a more integrated set of systems and solutions. If the outcome of those integrated systems and solutions was increased employee productivity and increased business-wide profitability, that would be a pretty awesome benefit and outcome, wouldn’t it?
Developing and deploying this more integrated system would require both investment of time and dollars. So you’d have to balance the cost with the eventual outcomes and benefits. This is true of any expenditure of time and dollars.
But, that integrated system, in a nutshell, is our business’ definition of digital transformation. Catered specifically to your business, employee and customer needs.
Bottom Line, Digital Transformation Is About People
Your HR manager, your longest-paying client, your hot new lead, and you as the business owner have one thing in common. You’re human beings. People. And at the end of the day, business is about the people running the business and the people paying for that business (its products and services).
Making any part of your business process and systems easier for the people involved using digital methods is digital transformation. Does your system make it easier for customers to make new purchases and to do repeat business? Does your system make it easier for your employees to offer great customer service? Does your system ensure the money comes in quickly and efficiently? If the system isn’t delivering these things, it’s time for a system overhaul.
If that old system is still relying on outdated paper processes, it might just be time to consider what digital transformation means for your company and its people. And we’d love to talk to you about it!
Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels