THE 6 KEY STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Like the industrial revolution that changed society in the 19th century. Digital transformation refers to all the changes linked to the integration of digital technology into human society. Only 31% of business leaders see digital transformation as a major issue for their companies. Here are some ways to approach digital transformation in the best possible way

1. First of all, the digitalization of a company must be driven by its manager (s), with the desire to raise awareness among its employees and teams. It is actually a transformation of the organization, and the functioning of a business, made possible by technology. Necessary (individuals have new needs and new expectations), this digital transformation is also the key to continue. Entrepreneurs must keep in mind that by pursuing an activity based on a business model, organization and distribution method dating back to the last century, it is unlikely that their business will continue to be profitable for a long time.

2. Once the decision has been made to digitize its practices, the company must quickly set clear objectives and determine a digital roadmap. Where does the company want to go? And with what tools? These are all questions to which the digital strategy must give precise indications. Generally, a company's digital roadmap is divided into three stages, depending on its level of digitization, its sector of activity, its needs ...

The first step, or the first step in digitizing a business, is to digitize its own processes: what the company was doing outside the digital sphere must now be done digitally. Result ? Technology optimizes processes, but does not create new ones. Examples: online invoicing, e-commerce, digitization of customer relations, data storage in the cloud

The second phase of the digital transformation consists of expanding what is offered by the company (offer, profession), without altering its business model. Examples: Creation of new services or products made possible by digital tools, opening of new markets, modification of the internal organization, opening to related sectors or trades ... In doing so, new growth opportunities appear.

Finally, the third stage of digitalization is shaking up the very structure on which the company is based. In the light of digital tools, and to respond to the new challenges that are offered to them, certain companies will, in fact, really disrupt their sector, and reconsider the way in which they exercise their profession. Examples: inbound marketing,…

Indeed, the internal creation of a network, the integration of data in the cloud, ... will allow employees to better and faster adapt the new products and services offered to customers, due to digitalization. In the same way, the establishment of an extranet allowing to easily converse with its business partners, or to hatch new services, guarantees the improvement of the customer experience. The latter, resulting from a deeper knowledge of the customer thanks to digital (tracking, geolocation, webanalytics, big data, etc.), promotes the latter's experience with a product, a brand, 'a company.

4. Before implementing the digital transformation roadmap, the company must mobilize a competent team in the field. Its role is not limited to the integration of IT, but also to the exploration of new ways of exploiting digital tools in order to bring improvement to measurable processes, such as sales, marketing, HR… The members of this team, experts in digitization, come from the internal pool of the company (chief digital officer, programmers, etc.), especially if the latter is already active in terms of digitization. They can also be recruited, which means additional expenses and a new organization to find. Finally, the company can also turn to a competent digital agency.

5. It is at this stage that the IT systems department or the IT manager integrates decisions and new technologies in an operational manner. Armed with clear specifications, the manager installs and develops new digital solutions before implementing them in the system. In particular, this step involves adopting a budget for the purchase of new hardware and software equipment, so that each team has access to advanced work tools. Business leaders need to ensure that their teams are always on the lookout for and able to use technologies capable of digitally optimizing work processes. In this regard, the training of personnel is paramount.

6. Whether the company has already started its digital transformation or not, it is essential for it to measure the consequences and the impact of its digital policy. The exploitation of data and its analysis, through KPIs (or Key Performance Indicators), are considered to be the best way to perceive the benefits of digital transformation.