Digitalisation is not a buzzword. But it is also no longer a competitive advantage in today's rapidly changing business environment. It's an absolute necessity. Companies that make effective use of modern technology are keeping up. It's not just about forgetting about paper files. It's about completely change the mindset.
It's the same as asking a colleague if he'll join you for lunch at noon. Do you write him a letter, or do you open up a chat conversation? We assume the latter. It's much the same with digital these days. Digital automated processes are commonplace for many companies and for those who haven't started digitizing yet, it's getting late. But how to start digitizing and what not to forget? We've prepared some key steps for you.
So how to start the digitisation process?
1. Set SMART goals
It's important to know before you go digital, what you want to achieve. Need to improve customer experience, increase efficiency or reduce costs? Defining your goals will help you focus on the right areas. When everyone in the company, from the CEO to the IT department, understands and clearly perceives, why digitisation is happening and what benefits it will bringit increases the chances of success.
But that's not all. Just "increasing efficiency" is not enough. Each goal needs to be defined as precisely as possible - that's why it's good to lean o SMART method. The objectives of digitisation should be:
- S (specific) - specific
- M (measurable)
- A (achievable)
- R (relevant)
- T (time-bound) - time-anchored
Or we can tone it down a bit. Instead of "SMART" goals, we'll aim higher and define our metrics as "SMARTER", where E stands for "evaluated" and R for "rewarded".
Your strategy should be consistent with overall business objectives. Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a wide range of tools that at Blue Dynamic we adapt to specific needs your company. The key is to choose the right ones and use them effectively. For example, customizable ERP Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central gives you the opportunity to create a completely tailored set of modules - in the end, you only have what you actually use, and you don't pay for modules that are useless. And we could go on telling you about other MS D365 products.
2. Choose the right tools and partners for digitalisation
Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, digitalization doesn't happen by magic. Choosing the right technology tools is crucial and not at all easy, let alone implementing them. We recommend that you carefully choose a reliable supplierwho will be by your side from the first steps to the end. And by the end, we don't mean the delivery of the software, but the successful operation. We believe that follow-up support is key.
The right partner will help you not only with the technical side of thingsbut also with change management and staff training. And that brings us slowly to the third point...
3. Invest in change management and employee training
Technology alone is not enough. A huge role in the success of digitalisation is played by human factor. Today's children are born with a smartphone in their hands, but on the other hand, we are sure that in addition to fans of new technologies, you also have opponents of modernisation in your company. And there may be quite a few of them. Many people think that modern technology, such as AI, will take away their jobs, or believe that it's unnecessarily complicated to operate and learn new things. What to do about it?
Nowadays we are already talking about the fifth industrial revolution, i.e. about industry 5.0. In addition to "smart" technologies, it is necessary to promote cooperation between humans and "machines". Look for compromises, encourage human creativity, innovation and critical thinking. Show your employees that they are important to you and that you count on them. Successful digitalisation requires that your employees are ready for change and know how to use new tools effectively. Investment in training and support is essential. When employees understand new systems and see how they make their jobs easier, the transition to new technologies is much smoother.
Change management should include clear and ongoing communication with teams. Employees should know why the changes are happening, what benefits they will bring and how they will affect them. Give them enough time and resources to get familiar with the new tools and start using them.
Don't settle for one modernised process, digitise the company as a whole
The aim of digitisation is increased efficiency and elimination of unnecessarily complicated and repetitive processesthat's clear. But it shouldn't stop at just starting to create digital invoices with QR codes instead of paper ones. Digitizing one or a few processes may make someone's job easier, but your goals should be higher. Digital transformation means definitive Goodbye to data on paper.
If you're not sure that your business will benefit from digitalisation, or if you're considering it and don't know where to start, there's nothing easier than sitting down to think about it. The specialists at Blue Dynamic with you on look at digital directly in the context of your business - they will help you find suitable technologies, suggest a step-by-step process and outline the time and financial requirements. Contact us to arrange a free consultation.
