In the last few years, the rise of new technology has sparked serious shifts in consumer behaviour and turned old business models on their head. These days, the ability to create a compelling customer experience isn’t a luxury - it’s a means of survival.
Digital transformation - the art and science of using technology to foster innovation, agility and customer-centricity - can seem daunting, but there’s nothing as empowering as making a start.
Our 3-step guide to digital transformation will help equip you to take the leap.
Step 1: Shift your thinking
Before embarking on your digital journey, it’s essential to put the customer first:
- Try using real-time data to glean customer insights
- Acknowledge the importance of integrating mobile, social and physical channels
- Swap inward-focused processes for agile ways of working
To future-proof your business, you need to ensure that your digital strategy has the customer journey at its heart. Read more with our next article in the series: Shift Your Thinking.
Step 2: Gain company-wide buy-in
Remember that internal resistance will slow down your transformation process. It’s important that digital change is championed at an executive level and every stakeholder and department is onboard. To help propel your company’s culture into the future:
- Incentivise staff to focus on the customer
- Introduce KPIs that fast-track your transformation journey
- Hire senior digital talent and nominate ambassadors to advocate for change
Remove internal barriers and you will accelerate your digital transformation.
Step 3: Find the right partner
Digital transformation is impossible without a technology partner that listens and responds to your needs. You could be designing a CRM system that empowers data-driven decisions or tailoring your website to deliver personalised customer experiences- either way you, need your partnership to be based on communication and trust.
- Allot a number value to your goals and expectations
- Discuss service offerings, service level agreements and response times
- Work with a partner who’s invested in your long-term journey and provides ongoing support
Digital transformation is an evolving journey that is only possible if you commit to the first steps.
To help you on your journey, we will elaborate on each of these 3 steps in our Digital Transformation series: