Since the arrival of computers and the internet, organizations have seen their methods of operating and working change completely. This is known as the ‘digital revolution’ or the ‘digital transformation’.
In the face of new challenges of collaboration, notoriety and user experience, companies must rethink their strategy, organization, management, along with their way of communicating and marketing. Indeed, the digital transformation impacts all levels of the company, such as:
- Workspace
- Access to documents
- Collaboration between employees
- Internal and External communication
- Data security and confidentiality
- Work processes and tools
- Decision making
- Products
- Customer relationship
For example, to attract more consumers, companies must increase their points of contact in addition to the traditional physical point of sale, in particular via a website, one or more pages on social media platforms etc. Another example is the dematerialization of files, making them easier to access and eliminates the storage of paper documents.
To continue to grow, succeed and stand out from the competition, companies must embrace digital transformation.
Wondering how to do it? Here are 6 steps to follow to succeed in your digital transformation.
1. Perform an audit
To begin, carry out an audit to identify the existing solutions within your company and thus determine what the company’s digitalization needs are.
To do this, consult with your employees in the various departments of the company to define which tools are best suited for them to succeed in the digital transformation, while improving their work and the customer experience.
2. Raise awareness among your employees and set goals
Your employees are the first to be impacted by this digital transformation. To ensure its success, start by setting specific goals to achieve throughout the digitalization of the company. Then, make your employees aware of the changes they will be facing and the new tools they will have to use.
Make sure your employees understand why the company is adopting new tools and work processes, and how these changes will impact their role and daily tasks. If they understand that these transformations will make their daily lives easier, they will be more inclined to accept them.
You must also explain to them the advantages of digital transformation and how it makes it possible to meet specific objectives by being part of a global strategic vision of the company. This is how you will engage, inspire, and motivate your employees to get involved in the transformation.
3. Go digital gradually
Your business’ digital transformation will not happen overnight. It must be done step by step, at your own pace. You need to define a detailed plan with goals to achieve, a direction to follow and tools to adopt.
Here are some examples :
- Digitize your internal processes to gain productivity by adopting electronic invoicing, data storage in the cloud, etc.
- Go on social media to win over new consumers.
- Expand your range of products / services or create new ones to generate new growth opportunities.
- Find new ways to sell your products to differentiate yourself from the competition.
- Facilitate collaboration within teams by adopting a collaborative solution such as Wimithat improves teamwork, in particular by facilitating communication and file sharing.
You will learn as you go, and do not hesitate to test the different software and applications before making your choice. Especially since almost all of them offer a free version or several days of trial without obligation to purchase. Select the ones that best suit your needs and those that are most appreciated by your employees.
4. Implement change management
This digital transformation will disrupt the work habits of your employees. In order to guarantee the success of this digitalization and its acceptance by all your employees, it is important to implement change management. This consists of explaining to them the reasons for these changes and supporting them throughout the digital transformation process so that it takes place in the best conditions.
Listen to your employees, answer their questions, and reassure their fears and doubts by offering them concrete solutions, such as training and coaching. If they feel listened to and see the implementation of real solutions to facilitate their adaptation, they will more easily accept the digital transformation and contribute to its success.
For more efficiency, do not hesitate to involve your employees in the digitalization of their roles. It’s a great way to get them interested and motivate them to adopt new behaviors and new tools.
5. Train your employees
For your employees to remain successful and adapt to changes and developments in the business, you must encourage and help them acquire new skills. Training is therefore an essential tool for the success of digital transformation.
All staff must be trained in the new work processes, digital tools, and the digital culture of the company.
6. Evaluate and adjust
As with any change, it is essential to monitor, assess and analyze the impact of digital transformation on business results. For this, you can rely on different indicators or KPIs such as customer experience, customer satisfaction and retention, employee productivity before and after digital transformation, etc. Then use the data collected to make adjustments and improve work processes.
Conclusion
“The biggest challenge with digital transformation is changing the car’s wheel without stopping it.” Éric Blot, President, Lespeakers.
Digital transformation involves radical changes within the company and to succeed, you must prepare your organization and your employees to face these changes, particularly by raising their awareness upstream, by setting objectives to be achieved and by gradually digitizing yourself. Train your staff and evaluate your results to make the necessary adjustments that will confirm the success of your digital transformation.
