Prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic many organisations played lip service to the need for a digital transformation. However, in 2020 as the global pandemic forced businesses around the world to send their employees home digital adoption was rapidly accelerated.
Ultimately, digital transformation is not just about technology adoption but about providing employees with the digital tools, devices and platforms to keep them productive, without sacrificing the imperatives of the business.
A recent Business Day Dialogue, in partnership with Altron People Solutions, discussed why digital adoption is so vital. Pointing out that technology made the seemingly impossible possible a year ago as lockdowns were enforced around the world, discussion moderator Aki Anastasiou said this new way of working is likely to persist in the future.
Futures specialist and strategist, John Sanei said digital technologies are forcing us to redesign what work looks like and how we add value to the world. Efficiency and process driven activities will be automated requiring us to re-evaluate how we add value to the world.
Sanei mantains that we live in a ‘surplus society’ where everyone has similar qualifiations, jobs and even lifestyles. However, as the structure of success and ‘winning’ is changing, we are moving away from this surplus society. Businesses need to embrace the shift from globalisation and digitalisation to dispersion where the focus is on flexible, personalised and tailor-made experiences.
Many businesses are struggling to juggle their old way of working with their digital ambitions. Sanei advised splitting management teams into ‘today teams’ who focus on innovation, efficiency and modifications to the current business model; and ‘tomorrow teams’ who are tasked with disrupting the current business model to create a new model. Those businesses who are holding on to their old models and processes at all costs are struggling, he revealed.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation journey from many different points of view including from an organisational and employee perspective, said MD of Altron People Solutions, Priscilla Rampathi. There is no point in investing in technology solutions if they business has no intention of adopting it at all levels which is why employees need to be upskilled in terms of how to use it in order to derive a return on the investment. Not only do businesses need to prioritise creating skill sets for the future but they also need to ensure that employees have bought into the vision of the business and understand why the technology has been deployed. In a similar vein, the business needs to have a good understanding of the customer’s journey so that they too can derive a benefit from the adoption of technology.
Head of Business Development and CX Enabling Technologies at Altron People Solutions, Darryl Marcus said businesses need to ensure that customers can still interact and engage with businesses and brands despite their adoption of digital technologies. As such, they need to break down digital fortresses and create front doors to their business.
The panellists agreed that a digital transformation journey is not always an easy one. However, given an irrevocably changed world, most businesses have no choice but to adopt digital technologies if they hope to remain sustainable.
To watch the full discussion, click here.