Is Your Small Business Ready for Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation is a journey. It differs from company to company because your goals and challenges will dictate the technology you need. For the same reason it is not only about technology but also about the people. The benefits to you, your staff and ultimately your customers will navigate your business in the digital era.

In 2020, digital transformation is well underway with large corporations allocating substantial budgets towards their digital investments. Organisations need to transform multiple departments and processes within their current infrastructure. Although transformation needs to be customised, take place over a lengthy period, and is usually expensive, the benefits far outweigh these challenges. By implementing the right digital strategies companies will experience improved internal efficiencies, lowered costs, increased productivity, smoother operations and improved customer experience.

Small businesses and start-ups have a unique advantage here, as they can implement the right digital strategies easily and earlier on and use it to accelerate their growth.

 

Here are some strategies that small businesses can invest in to up their digital readiness score:

 

1. Online

If you have an online presence (responsive website and social media pages) you are in the game. Now, why not sell online too?

 

2. Connectedness

Digital transformation is the age of the customer. Your clients want easy access to your business and using platforms that are convenient to them (email, WhatsApp, Messenger, live chats etc.) are some of the best means to do so. They expect businesses to respond quickly – if not instantly!

 

3. Automation

Gone are the days of long paper trails, manual and mundane tasks because business processes need to be automated. Examples of these automated processes include sales (eCommerce), auditing, HR, process management, customer support etc. Automated software solutions not only save time but also reduce errors. This ensures that employees have more time to spend on other more important tasks, thereby enhancing the business’s overall productivity.

 

4. Integrated software applications

Automated software solutions are excellent; however, without integration, confusion and errors can easily creep in. It is important to ensure that there are basic business systems in place; finance, eCommerce, support etc. to communicate seamlessly between all departments and software applications.

 

5. Applicable insights

What would you do if you knew there was a spike in customer engagement with your brand between 8 and 10 pm at night?

Aiming to be “online” during those hours to engage right back would be a great move, because you’ll be able to strike while the iron is hot and boost sales. Imagine what you could do if all the data you captured was made usable… Invest in strategies that could turn your data into actionable insights.

In order to remain relevant, competitive and innovative businesses need to digitalize. It is a necessity, but it is not necessarily an overnight occurrence. Create a feasible roadmap and begin the journey today.

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