Digital Transformation Post Pandemic.

“Digital transformation” is the new buzzword in business, especially during the recent coronavirus outbreak. In fact, 70% of companies in the US, already either have a digital transformation strategy or are working towards getting one.

If that’s not reason enough for you to consider this, in 2019 alone, companies
spend over $2 trillion on their digital transformation strategy.

This means, if you are a business owner, not focusing on your digital transformation strategy could mean leaving money on the table, and a gap wide open for a competitor to enter into your market.

While there is no need to reinvent the wheel, there are some key strategies that businesses that
are looking towards growth will have to integrate into their digital transformation strategy to make a splash post-pandemic.

Digital Transformation Trends Post Pandemic

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus is unlike anything we have ever seen in our lifetimes. The negative impact of this pandemic has been far and wide and has made other recent outbreaks
such as SARS and Bird Flu look like a walk in the park.

The coronavirus is also having a profound impact on business across the globe. This has resulted in many forward-thinking businesses adopting digital transformation to adapt to this new normal.

Digitalization is on the Rise

We are already seeing the work-from-home culture in full swing. In fact, many businesses across various industries have adapted to the work-from-home culture to stay in the game during the pandemic.

In fact, it would not be wrong to say that more professionals are working from home now than
ever before due to the city-wide lockdowns and limited to no public transport available.

This new digitalization of the workforce means that communication and collaboration tools are going to be essential for ensuring smooth business processes and avoiding any bottlenecks in everyday business activities.

Luckily, we now have a plethora of digital tools and platforms that are just a click
away to help us keep in contact and collaborate with colleagues despite having physical limitations.

The use of conference streaming and planning applications are on the rise since they allow
a workforce to communicate with each other without having to meet physically.

Seeing the uncertainty in the days ahead, it won’t be wrong to say that working from home
is going to be more widely accepted in the future than it has been in the past.
More importantly, business professionals will have to integrate AI tools that will make them more
of an innovative anticipator, when it comes to delivering products and services that the customer needs.

The Need to Make Smart Talent Decisions

We mentioned briefly the fact that digital transformation is not just about integrating the latest technologies in everyday business processes, but rather, it is about using the right combination of digital technologies and workforce to get the best results.

Having an effective digital transformation strategy post-pandemic is also going to mean making some smart decisions when it comes to talent options. These decisions will have to be made on
the fly to meet demands and not put your company in distress.

When it comes to digital transformation post-pandemic, we are most likely going to see
three talent trends:

• Talent that is great at doing their job
• Talent that’s hungry for more
• New talent

This is why businesses, now more than ever, need to identify the employees that
fall into the first two groups, and then work closely with their HR team to fill in the
gaps with new talent where needed.

It is important to note that IT can no longer operate in silos; all of your
team members will have to up their game when it comes to their communication and
collaboration skills, or else, find themselves packing.

The new normal for many in the business sphere will be to find those employees
who are able to adapt to new settings, without having the need for micromanagement.

While working to build the skills of your existing team is a good way to grow organically,
companies will need to push to break through capital allocation restraints when it comes
to hiring new talent that has the skills and are able to adapt to their new environment.

Become a Digital Brand

As businesses realize the importance of digital transformation and how crucial it is for their employees to stay virtual, more and more businesses will learn how to view themselves as a truly digital brand.

This means, if you’ve considered your brand as simply a brick and mortar entity,
it’s time you took a step back and saw the bigger picture.

While this will mean having to rework the business strategy for many brands,
there can be many long term implications to not jumping on the digital
bandwagon if you haven’t already. That being said, it’s not going to be easy.

In fact, research shows that it takes time for customers and investors to cotton up
to the fact that you’re digital now, especially if you haven’t traditionally been that way.

Brand permission is an area that’s going to be a big challenge for both small and
large companies alike, especially those who have avoided having a digital presence historically.

Ending Note

Digital transformation is not solely about using the latest technologies to streamline business processes, but rather, it is a combination of tools and strategies that will help a business reach its bottom line, even during times of uncertainty. Sustain leadership is here to help with the right digital transformation solutions that make sure that technology, process, and people are aligned.

Because, for many businesses, the choice is simple: when it comes to digital transformation, you either adapt or you die.

Check our Strategic Leadership Article: https://sustain-leadership.com/strategic-leadership-in-uncertain-times/