Digital Technology Adoption in the Post-Digital Age to Improve Productivity in Organisations

Today, so much organisation time and effort is focused on adapting to new technological developments in the pursuit of satisfying the growing demands of customers, shareholders and employees. In decreasing timeframes, we have moved from the “industrial age” to the “digital age”. Eventually we will reach a point that could well be described as the “post digital age”. Before, we try to understand what is post-digital age, we need to understand what is pre-digital age and mid-digital age.

What is Pre-digital age?

It is also called as pre-digital era. It is a period to understand the adoption of digital technologies that just came into existence. At first, the pre-digital age evolved slowly. Products became digitised. Photos became bits. The phone book became an online directory. Printed magazines became websites (online magazines).

What is Mid-digital age?

This first age was all about physical products becoming digital. It led to creative destruction in organisations, which is where we are now: the mid-digital age, which means we are currently mid-phase between two eras: the pre- and post-digital age. Mid-digital age is a period that straddles the age where digital is just becoming accepted into the mainstream, and the age where digital is fully immersed into our society. For example, some of the private companies accept debit cards or digital banking whereas some of the government institutions accept only cash.

What is Post-digital age?

It is also called as post-digital era (post-digitisation). It is a period to understand the adoption of digital technologies after a certain period of time. This era refers to a humanistic approach to solving various challenges & problems. In the post-digital age, digital technology will be a vast, quiet element forming the seamless backbone of life, with the internet forming the background utility.

Digital Transformation: Mid-digital to Post-digital age

‘Digital transformation’ is a phrase that is arguably overused in organisations, but it isn’t something that can be ignored. As we know, Digital Media is pervasive and ubiquitous, digital transformation (DX) needs to be adapted quickly to achieve high success. DX is re-strategising the digital products within an organization by leveraging current technologies and customer requirements. So, as we move from the mid- to the post-digital era, the organisations have to prepare for eventualities. They have to ensure their business is culturally prepared for what’s to come. Consider extremities and be commercially ferocious, competitive, customers must be engaged and drive high levels of efficiency and productivity.

Points to consider in the post-digital age to improve productivity in organisations:

• Improve your organisation website and focus on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Remain connected using Email and social media platforms
• Focus on digital marketing
• Invest in the right technologies & digital tools – super fast broadband, tablets, cloud services, business software and applications.
• Customer interaction tools such as CRM and social listening apps will enable you to develop strong bonds with customers you’re yet to convert.
• Try to automate your work using Artificial Intelligence to minimise work and reach more audience.
• Make use of digital wallet and online payment gates to make life easy for customers.
• Alternative strategies give rise to new risks. Utilise digital governance, data analytics and risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage e-tax and legal jurisdictional issues that are emerging in a virtual space, e.g. VAT
• It is worth investing on digital compliance.
• To successfully maximize the efficiency of systems and processes, management must be committed to the digital technology's implementation; users must accept it in their daily work.

The digital media has been an extraordinary development that has changed and continues to change people’s lives in this digital age. Business and society will become increasingly entwined as we enter the digital age, so digital age organisations need to think beyond making their employees/customers engaged and satisfied. In any case, organisations need to evolve constantly to stay in play in the digital age.