How to blend digital technology into traditional businesses
It is becoming increasingly common to hear businesses talk of the future revolving around digital technology. Indeed, there can be no doubt that in recent years, the rate of technological advancement has been astounding, and many possibilities previously limited only to the large companies are very much accessible to smaller businesses.
The narrative goes that if businesses want to survive in modern industries, they must embrace digital disruption and find opportunities for technology to transform their business at all costs. Only by doing so, it is said, will businesses be able to keep up with their competition and be able to thrive in their marketplace.
And that makes it all sound very simple, but the truth is a little more complex. Yes, it is true that businesses do need to keep up with the pace of technology and embrace change that can make a genuine difference to the way that they operate. But too many companies see digitisation as a silver bullet to solve their problems.
For many businesses that operate in traditional and perhaps more physical environments, digital technology can have a key role. But the vital thing to understand is not how digital tech can transform your company, but rather how it can blend into and enhance it.
Focus on digitisation that benefits productivity
It is important to consider the most effective ways that digital transformation can be rolled out across your business. It is often the case that digitisation is most effective when it allows companies to more easily carry out time-consuming manual tasks via software. This is known as business process automation (BPA).
BPA often focuses around tasks that can boost productivity. Consider things that many businesses have to carry out as a matter of course such as processing invoices or managing staff payments. In some businesses, these tasks are still carried out manually. Automating them can free up a significant amount of time, leaving staff free to pursue more valuable activities.
Don’t assume digitisation solves all problems
It is important to remember that digitisation is not a one-size-fits-all solution to your business’ challenges. Yes, there can be huge value drawn from BPA and other form of digital transformation, but simply digitising a business won’t be something every company can rely on to solve its problems.
It is more important to think of digitisation as a process. It can have the potential to benefit you enormously if it is deployed correctly. But doing so requires genuinely understanding what it is that you need to change your business and how digital transformation can do that for you.
Understand when and where it can be valuable to you
When blending in new digital technology with a more traditional business, it is most important not to look at what is usually effective, but to understand how it can best serve you. There are many types of digitisation that can be used across business settings, having an impact everywhere from finance and HR through to day-to-day operations.
The most important thing that you can do is analyse where your business needs to make improvements, and see if there is a way that digital technology can help.
Work with specialists
It is a great idea to work with professionals with extensive experience in digital transformation and finding ways that technology can help a more traditional company. At Document Options, we have years of expertise in everything from process automation and data capture through to document management and cloud storage.
We can help you manage your digital transformation by getting to understand the specific needs for your organisation and taking you through the process. If you are interested in learning more about what Document Options can do for you, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with our experienced team today.
