You’re not alone. Many small businesses are reluctant to pull that digital trigger and do the digital transformation with their processes and products. Going down that road is a long process. You’ll need a strategy, and you’ll likely meet resistance even within your own ranks. But you also don’t want to get left behind, and you see the opportunities that a digital transformation brings, including mere survival in these times of a pandemic. When is the right time to make this change?
As you evaluate your business and assess whether the time is right or not for a digital transformation, consider these key points from Industrial Internet Consortium:
Review the information you gathered. Does it make sense to take that digital leap? If the answer isn’t clear, consider working with a digital consultant to help with due diligence and strategy development.
Companies who decide to go digital can run into some serious hurdles that have prevented similar attempts from reaching their target goals. The most common reason that companies fail in their digital transformation goals is the lack of commitment. They don’t get the buy-in from their team. They don’t commit the funds and other resources needed to ensure success. In other words, the project is doomed to struggle before it begins.
In addition to a lack of total commitment, companies can fall short of their digital goals including failing to have a clear plan with measurable milestones during implementation, failing to update or build out the required technology platforms underneath the new digital processes, and failing to create the support resources to keep the new technology running and scale with growth.
With the right strategy, planning, and buy-in, you can avoid these challenges and build the digital change your business needs.
Change of any kind can be a challenge in business. Crossing that digital chasm is no different. When businesses see the need to take this digital step, reluctance can seep into the organization. Addressing concerns right upfront will get your project off on the right foot. As you approach your organization with these ideas, consider the following:
Your digital transformation requires a plan, a strategy, one that will be clear to everyone on your team. It will take a team effort to ensure success. Developing your strategy includes identifying the current situation: your pain, challenges, and opportunities that can be addressed with technology. Identify the right digital solution. For example, perhaps custom software that automates your processes, takes your products digital, and ties together your other pieces of software, would be a great solution! And finally, you need a plan to bring this to a long-term solution that helps your company achieve its goals.
Ready to get that started? Contact us now.