In this day and age — a time coined as the “Age of Intelligence” — digital transformation has evolved from a hyped buzzword to a tech-centric business strategy prioritised by forward-thinking executives. Studies are showing that digital transformation is already occurring in the majority of enterprises and that the rate of digital adoption will only continue to grow. In fact, according to IDG’s 2018 Digital Business Survey, 89% of organisations plan to adopt a digital-first business strategy, yet only 44% have fully adopted this approach.
Here are four reasons why advocating for digital adoption now makes you a better business leader :
1. It gives you an edge over lagging competition.
With technology changing the layout of the business landscape, successful leaders are learning that by automating core processes and embracing digital adoption now they’ll not only reap the strategic benefits it offers, but they’ll also get a leg up on competitors who are slower to digitise. By kickstarting your transformation now, you’ll have the opportunity to work out the kinks and streamline your business processes while the previously mentioned 44% wait to execute their digital adoption plans.
2. It empowers your employees with job-enhancing tools and more time for business-critical activities.
One of the main goals behind digitising business processes is eliminating tedious, repetitive manual tasks that waste time, money and resources. With automation, workflows are streamlined and simplified, and staff is equipped with the tools they need to perform their jobs efficiently and accurately. According to a report by Forbes and VMWare, digitally empowered employees are significantly more productive and make smarter decisions in a shorter amount of time. And with all that extra time on their hands, more of it can be spent focusing on value-added activities such as customer service.
3. It allows you to better serve and communicate with customers and suppliers.
With digitisation comes the opportunity to enhance customer and supplier experience with the use of online self-service portals. Portals provide customers and suppliers with an efficient way of finding information, resolving communication issues. Nuance Enterprise study found that 67% of respondents said they preferred self-service over speaking to a company representative.
4. It helps you make more informed business decisions.
One of the most valuable things digital transformation brings to a business is data — lots and lots of powerful data. And that data has the ability to inspire some game-changing decisions. In fact, in a survey done by Forbes Insights, 71% of respondents said that 50% or more of their business decisions now include analytics. When workflows are digitised, valuable information is collected at every step of the way which provides actionable insights for identifying problem areas and making business cycles more efficient.
Good business leaders recognise just how integral data is to a company’s performance as well as their ability to make informed, educated business decisions, yet most are not taking full advantage of their data or do not have the tools to do so effectively.
The time to transform is now!
Learn how to build a compelling business case for automation and get your initiative off the ground with these eBooks:
Taylor Bucher
As a Copywriter at Esker, Taylor uses her creative writing experience to write engaging marketing content that educates audiences on the benefits of automated business processes. If she’s not in the office, you’ll most likely find her exploring hiking trails, guessing the breeds of dogs she sees on the street and then asking the owner to see if she’s right, or catching a concert at a local music venue.