Digital Transformation – Future Proofing Your Business

Digital Transformation.

Like “innovation” and “the cloud”, it’s one of those terms that very often should have its own swear-jar in an organisation.

Partly this annoyance is down to the almost smoke-catching nature of the exact meaning of the term.

The definition can vary wildly from person to person and business to business.

At 3SIXTY we think about it as being the adoption of the digital tools that are right for your business and that will deliver improvements in terms of efficiency, productivity, customer experience, employee engagement and, ultimately, profitability.? ?

The singular focus of any project with the word “Digital” in the title must be on “what business outcomes do you want to deliver?”.

Never start with the “tech” – i.e. “I think we need a CRM / ERP / Perpetual Motion Machine”.

The discussion must start with the purpose. What business outcomes do you want to deliver and why???

What we find even more frustrating than the shapeshifting definition, is the tendency for the focus of most “Digital Transformation” conversations to be on the most cutting edge, “sexy” advances in technology. The latest hot topic.

This is fine if your business is ready for this.

If the next step your business is ready to take on its digital journey is [insert name of the latest, most cutting edge, “sexy” advance in technology here], then that’s what’s right for you.??

But the difficulty with this is most companies are nowhere near this point in terms of digital maturity.

This can lead to a view among some business leaders that “we are so far behind we will never catch up”.

Or for SMEs to take the view that this “Digital Transformation stuff isn’t for us”.

Of course, the reality is that (back to our own definition) adopting the digital tools that are right for your business is something every business must do. And every business can benefit from.

The tendency to think about large, company-wide system implementations at the very mention of the term “Digital” can be a challenge.

As one of my colleagues once reminded a client who had wandered down this particular cul de sac in a conversation about Digital; “keep in mind, moving a manual process onto Excel can be considered Digital Transformation”.

This is back to the idea that the focus must be on the adoption of the digital tools that are right for your business.

For where you are today.

Not for where you wish you were today, or where you may be in 24 months.

What is right for your business today such that bringing in these tools will yield benefits in terms of efficiency, productivity, customer experience, employee engagement and, ultimately, profitability.

While every client has its own unique (and delightful!) traits, the conversations we have about Digital adoption tend to be along the below lines - ?

Understand the Digital Landscape (as it relates to your sector/your business) ?

What are the trends shaping your industry?

How are these shifts impacting customer behaviour?

This will drive out a roadmap for navigating the digital world around YOU.

At this point, we will help clients identify the key shifts that demand their attention.

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Where is your business today in terms of Digital?

Like any Consultant worth their salt, we want to know the “as is”.

Where are you today in terms of adopting digital tools?

No need for any complex audits.

This is? simply a straightforward assessment of your strengths and weaknesses in terms of how you are embracing digital today. Or not.

We will spend some time at this point speaking with the client about how their current systems and processes align with their business goals.

This step is crucial to lay the foundation for meaningful improvements, tied to where the business wants to be in X years.

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Crafting a Vision: Where Do You Want to Go?

Now, let's imagine the future.?

Where do you want your business to be in 3 years? 5 years?

At this point, we work with the client to set realistic digital goals, specifically tailored to the growth ambition.

This is simply about calling out the role digital tools can play in achieving the delivery of the growth plan.

No convoluted strategies.

No jargon overload.

No buying of Tech for the sake of buying Tech.

We will help develop a practical, step-by-step roadmap that’s right for where the client is today, where it wants to be, and factoring in its own unique set of circumstances.

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Forget what the Tech is called. This is all about the People

Digital Transformation isn't primarily about technology.

In fact, we see the Tech as the least important piece of the puzzle.

It’s about people, process, and purpose (the why? What business outcomes am I aiming to deliver?)

When working with clients, we will go deep into the practical ways to foster a culture that embraces change at this point.

Again, no need for elaborate jargon – just simple, effective approaches to ensure the team is ready for the digital journey ahead.

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WAAAY too often, people deliberately bring a complexity to areas of business which don’t require it.

This is particularly true with Digital.

When it comes to Digital, we see our role as helping SMEs demystify what it is,? how it can benefit their business, and equipping them with practical steps they can take to grow in a sustainable and scalable way.?

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3SIXTY partners with the most ambitious Irish companies to deliver their full growth potential. ??

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To find out more about what we do, visit?www.3SIXTY.ie?or get in touch via LinkedIn.