“Digital transformation” isn’t a mere buzzword – it’s an evolution of business, every bit as important going forward as the industrial adoption of robotics in the 70s-80s, or of networking in the 90s-00s. Modern Internet collaboration and communication technologies are revolutionizing how businesses work, and it’s paying off with across-the-board benefits.
What does “digital transformation” mean? In the broadest sense, it simply means replacing non-electronic processes with electronic ones. “Going paperless” is one common application, but it also applies to physical processes as well, such as replacing fully mechanical equipment with digital/electronic upgrades which offer online connectivity and other “smart” functionality.
Digital transformation is usually a slow processes, and there can be stumbling blocks along the way, but as a business further embraces a digital workplace, the benefits tend to add up.
1. Lowered costs
Consistently, replacing analog or mechanical processes with digital alternatives will result in long-term savings that will justify the investment. An obvious example is how going paperless will reduce costs on office supplies, as well as all the manpower needed to maintain and search paper archives.
2. Improved productivity
Businesses today move fast, and you can’t move any faster than the speed of light. Digital processes allow data to be transmitted anywhere in the world, within moments. There’s no need to wait on the mail, couriers, or any other physical barriers to data transmission.
3. Workplace automation
As a company converts more processes into digital forms, those processes can increasingly “talk” to each other through shared software. This, in turns, allows for smart automation systems that reduce the need for human labor. Automation principles can be applied to everything from industrial processes, such as self-monitoring water valves, to marketing and advertising systems that can automatically send out customized emails.
4. Increased collaboration
You have so much talent in your company – but how well is it being utilized? Collaboration technologies allow workers at all levels to contribute ideas and experience, and lets you leverage talents which workers may not be fully utilizing in their standard workplace rolls.
5. Rapid decision-making
Decision-making in today’s business world needs to be based in hard numbers. That means having a lot of data on your business, your customers, and your industry – as well as the software to crunch it. Digital processes lead directly to improved analytics, and smarter business moves.
6. Higher quality recruitment
Why should your hiring choices be limited to the immediate vicinity? Digitally-focused operations can hire workers – or freelancers – anywhere in the world, while software allows them to contribute just as effectively as someone in your own building. Improved telecommunications makes this even simpler!
7. Faster trend recognition
Trends in buyer behavior, as well as customer needs, can shift rapidly. You need reliable sources of business intelligence which can tell you immediately if the winds in your industry are changing. Digital communications and data collection make this possible.
8. Superior customer support
Today, competition between businesses within a market is often based on their ability to support customers long-term, rather than on any specific product. Digital workflows allow faster and more robust support of the type that boosts long-term customer value, and creates word-of-mouth evangelists.
FUSE Simplifies Your Digital Transformation
FUSE is the industry’s premiere open platform for the creation of digital ecosystems, linking your workers, partners, and customers together in a tight network that generates higher productivity and better outcomes all around. Get a head start on the future and create your free account today!
