How many of you have thought about a project idea aimed to solve daily life problems? How many of those ideas could end up as a digital product? I mean, think about it, nowadays there are lots of devices, software, apps and smart objects that make your life easier. I’ve thought about it and at first, I felt it was complicated or far away from possible but then I understood that many people are in the same situation and that there is a process behind those projects. Today’s topic is all about digital transformation and you must know that this term has nothing to do with been lazy and letting technology do everything for you. Digital transformation invites you to invest your time and energy in the creation of solutions, using the tools that technology has to offer. The enterpriser’s project defines it like the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It’s also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure.
Let’s think about a real-life example of digital transformation. In a 2016 study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Dixson discovered that women find men with facial hair more attractive than those without. The beard is here to stay and this trend has created a great opportunity for barbershop businesses to grow. What if you are the owner of a local barbershop and you find a pattern in your client’s behavior, where they have difficulties choosing a beard style that matches a haircut or difficulties scheduling their appointments with their favorite barber? What if you implement technology to improve this experience? What if your clients download your app and check the schedules of the day for them to arrive exactly when their favorite barber is free? You could also add care tips or a complete beard catalog to simplify their style selection process. The implementation of this technology would help you access more information about your audience. You could know which are the favorite beard styles and create promos for it, you could also know more about your own staff team by reading the registered feedbacks per barber and you could do so much more! Just think about how many changes will come out by implementing an app in your service experience. A complete digital transformation would imply so much more than having an app, but at the end of the day, it’s all about little changes and here you will find some tips to make it possible and take the first step towards the digital transformation. Here they go!
- Open your mind
“The secret to change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new”. -Socrates
This quote is perfect to begin because in order to start this process the first change must come from your mind. Companies are not looking through their old methods, to achieve the same results but rather to innovate and adapt to nowadays needs. Open your mind to new ways of selling, new kind of teamwork, new business models and try to connect all of this to your life experiences.
2. Do the Research
Digital transformation happens everywhere and this means it hits each industry. Don’t make the typical mistake of thinking that just because you work in a certain industry, you are exempt of been affected by the digital transformation. A great example of this comes out every time you use social media. Digital marketing is just a small piece of the digital transformation evolution and 81% of small and medium businesses use some kind of social platform, which means that more than half of the worldwide registered companies are already a part of the digital transformation. These companies took the first step, not by posting ads and selling online but mainly because they are creating a channel to learn and interact more with their users.
The point is, that you should do the research and try to update yourself about all the options you have to optimize your processes and grow your brand. Start from the basics, ask yourself which aspects would you like to improve and try to understand how customer needs and behavior patterns influence growth. Internet is one of the easiest tools you may use to find out more information about this topic and there are so many tech businesses that you can easily contact in order to develop your ideas. Be brave and look for the info, don’t let your competition do it first.
3. Evaluate and Plan
You don’t need to be an expert to analyze how much technology and innovation is being implemented in your business and doing that first diagnosis is necessary when finding a starting point. So coming back to the barbershop example, let’s say you do use social media as a tool to connect with your users but think about the other areas. Have you considered adding new paying method options for your clients? Where do you keep your company’s information? Your employees know about the common goal? Are they part of the strategy?
If you feel that you are doing the exact same thing as the competition then, where is the value proposition? Don’t worry, ¡Let’s plan to make the difference! Take the time to walk through every aspect of the service experience you are offering and try to define business strategies. You should be aware of the fact that this whole thing is a process and it won’t happen from one day to another. Just the fact that you are trying to grow your ideas through innovation it means you are working for an adaptable business that most likely will survive and be outstanding in the near future. Surround yourself of professionals for guidance and define a roadmap for your next move. Make sure all this words and ideas take place, just like Benjamin Franklin said one day: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”
4. Best ideas bring simple solutions
We have already talked about having an open mind, doing the research, evaluating and planning, so hopefully, you are not feeling like this is too hard or too complicated. The most successful adaptations come from simple ideas trying to find solutions for daily problems. For example, let’s think on Uber, this app was originally created to reduce the cost of direct transportation on luxury cars by encouraging people to share the same ride. The idea took place when Travis Kalanick and Garret Camp couldn’t get a cab after a conference in Paris and then, they identified a common life problem that many people experience on a daily basis.
So that’s it! There’s no magic spell or perfect recipe to that solution but the real key is to identify those issues in your real life business experiences and using the right tools that technology has to offer in order to innovate. It is no easy job and the process includes lots of prototypes and failure but in the end, something great might come out of it. Follow your intuition and try to keep it simple.
5. Last but not least, Operate!
Since there is no perfect way to start the process of digital transformation then, you should dare to explore what works best for your audience. Make decisions based on the information you have already collected throughout your experience. No matter the industry in which your business moves, you must use that knowledge in your favor and start using tools that not only let you record more information but also help you diversify it at your convenience. Share your goals to relatives and search for partners if you are seeking financial support. You never know how many investors might be interested in sponsoring your project idea. Operate aiming to achieve digital maturity and celebrate when you finally get to that point that Paulo Asseiceiro describes as an integrated company with new approaches, well-developed strategies and with digitalized core processes, products, and services.
Conclusion
Finally, think about this as an observation exercise where you encourage yourself to see your business from another perspective. Use your critical eye to find that opportunity you didn’t think of because you didn’t know about all the options the business world has to offer. Keep in mind that your research process should never stop, and boost yourself to read more every day. Find out about 2019 trends such as chatbots, blockchain, machine learning, virtual reality, internet of things and beyond!
If you want your business to be part of the digital transformation, contact us today to make an appointment and discuss your project.
