How to Take the Fear Out of Digital Transformation

If you’re reading this, you’ve already heard ‘digital transformation’ somewhere. In a nutshell, this refers to an organization adopting digital technology to improve efficiency, add value, and drive innovation across the business.

Every organization moves at its own speed when rolling out new tech. An organization’s digital transformation strategy is a plan of action to reposition itself in the digital economy. Like the world we live in, customer habits are constantly evolving—so too should the way companies operate if they want to keep people engaged and stay successful.

Getting human buy-in for digital transformation

Winning businesses innovate, tapping into emerging technology to change how their employees work. But for a truly successful transformation, you need buy-in from the top down.

To help your coworkers understand the need for innovation, take a practical approach using examples like buying groceries or fueling up a car. Most people don’t realize that they’re interacting daily with BOTs that use RPA, ML and AI, paying with NFC, and doing so from the Digital Operating Platform (DOP) that they hold in their hand.

Wait a minute. What does all that mean?

That is a pretty wordy statement, so let’s break it down.

• A BOT is a software program that performs repetitive tasks. BOTs are used to take orders, such as an order for Starbucks that we place on our phones.

• Through AI—Artificial Intelligence—the BOT may also suggest or ask if you want to order something additional such as “Egg bites are frequently ordered with this coffee. Would you like to add them to your order?”
• Through ML (machine learning), the BOT might say, “Last time you purchased a croissant, would you like to add this to your order?”

Ask your team to use personal buying experiences to relate back to your organization’s customer buying experience and how it can be improved through technology. That’s the key to understanding the tech, the benefits it might have, and the direct correlation it might have with your customers.

Dream it, then do it

Getting staff to envision better, more efficient ways of working will help propel your business forward with your digital transformation projects, no matter the size.

The hardest part? Getting everyone in the organization comfortable with the change in processes. The move from the way things have been done for years to a more efficient, happier place to work.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) reports that digital transformation initiatives led, on average, to a 14% financial uplift during the pandemic.

Empowering people with the knowledge they need to use emerging technologies is a big deal for organizations investing in digital strategies. That covers everything from taking manual administrative tasks and automating them to free up valuable resources to streamlining processes that create more time for strategic activities, like revenue generation and cost mitigation.

Above all, it gives employees something priceless: the sense of empowerment and self-worth that comes with knowing they can use technology to amplify their impact on your organization.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at Sage.