Digital Transformation: A Necessity Now More Than Ever
Even though technology has been a common part of our everyday lives for the past couple of decades, the current pandemics has made the whole industry and most of our interactions shift towards the digital world. How does digital transformation affect us now and is it as necessary as it seems to be?
Defining Digital Transformation
Nowadays, more and more companies are starting their digital transformation journey. However, at the same time, numerous companies that are taking an initiative in the digital transformation process possess no accurate understanding of what this transformation is and how to efficiently approach it, let alone successfully execute it and implement it. This is how common mistakes are made and the process of digital transformation is made to be more complicated than it has to be.
Digital transformation is actually not even a completely new transformation in itself. A correct understanding of the digital transformation and what drives it, however, is still not fully understood by most companies.
Before we dive deeper into the concept of digital transformation and how it works, let’s take a look at several definitions of this term:
- According to Harvard Business Review, digital transformation refers to a simple means of adapting a company’s strategy and structure in order to successfully make use of all of the opportunities provided by digital technology.
- Digital transformation can also be defined as the process of implementing digital technology in different areas of the business. This essentially changes the ways in which a company operates.
The process of digital transformation is different for every company. Apart from being an operational and organizational change, the process of digital transformation is also a huge cultural change. It is inevitable that many old business practices will be challenged and questioned as you dive deeper into the process of digital transformation. All of this is necessary if you want your company to reach some better and more efficient solutions. Some of the most common areas that have been tackled by the change of digital transformation are usually the ones that have to do with the production of products at a more affordable cost.
So, which areas and businesses is this process of digital transformation most prominent in and how does it work?
Digital communication, education and public services
The first area affected by this process is communication. The concept of using the digital space for one-on-one meetings, conferences, and meetings, in general, has become more prominent and widely accepted, especially now during the pandemics. Not only are online meetings and conferences more prominent now, but webinars and podcasts are being introduced to business more as well.
In addition to that, new mobile apps and programs are constantly being programmed and updated regularly to keep up with the mass digital use as well as to facilitate our new daily routines and professional lifestyles. Simultaneously, already existing online platforms are constantly getting improved and enhanced to better all of the consumers’ experiences.
Other than communication, another aspect of our daily life that had to adapt to digital transformation is education. Ever since the pandemic hit, most of the teaching and learning activities have been moved to the digital space. While e-learning was already a common part of the teaching-learning experiences in some of the countries, this method of teaching has now gone global due to the current circumstances.
Education was also one of the things that had to change. E-learning tools are now used all over the world to teach students remotely. Some countries were more ready than others. E-learning had already been applied in some parts of the world; whereas, in other areas, students, teachers and parents had to adapt to new teaching and learning techniques.
The COVID-19 situation has forced many countries to digitalize services in order to ensure that the education system is maintained. As it seems like the pandemic won’t be coming to an end soon, we need to find a way to adapt to this new method of teaching and learning through the process of digital transformation.
5G accelerates response to COVID-19
While all of the theories about 5G being the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic were debunked, the truth is that 5G has been proven to be efficient in fighting against the coronavirus. It has mainly been used in the health sector in countries such as China. For instance, many hospitals introduced remote consultation systems that allow patients to have video connections and remote consultations with their doctors. This significantly improves the efficiency of treatment and diagnosis.
Cloud adoption
There wouldn’t be successful digital transformation without cloud adoption. The cloud has been a factor that has enabled easy access to everything online as well as the use of streaming platforms during the pandemics. Along with cloud technology and reliable insurance technology, your online business and platforms can run smoothly and keep working flawlessly even during pandemics.
Digital finance and e-commerce
Since the pandemic hit, the way businesses operate and work with money has also changed. Due to the health threat of the current virus, a lot of businesses started avoiding cash money transactions in order to avoid the further spread of the virus. Instead, mobile banking has taken over the business and has been used more than ever.
Alongside that, e-commerce has been thriving during the whole pandemics allowing businesses to keep running smoothly even without the in-store purchases. Now that most businesses rely on their online platforms and websites to make sales, e-shopping platforms are thriving and the digital space is being used more than ever before.
Conclusion
In conclusion, now more than ever the use of digital space is prominent and crucial for society as a whole to keep functioning even during the time of a global pandemic.