Digital Transformation Strategy for a New Decade
Change brings a lot of emotions to the table. Some of us find new processes and ideas exhilarating. Others see change as scary and fraught with peril. Every individual reacts differently. Organizations have to manage all those reactions together. So being prepared for Digital Transformation isn’t just nice, it’s necessary.
Enter More New Technology
Change in today’s workplace usually involves incorporating new technology. Digital Transformation (DX) can look like a switch from analog to touch screen cash registers or manual inventory tracking to scanning materials in and out. We could easily give you a long list of examples, because employing new technology comes in just about every flavour, colour, size, and shape.
We know change rarely happens seamlessly. But when you lay the foundations for a successful transition, you see a better outcome guaranteed.
A Digital Transformation strategy is more than just a clever sounding idea. It’s a detailed plan of what you’re going to change, how, why, and the long term maintenance required.
Your Digital Transformation Strategy
1. Clearly Identify Problems & Pain Points
Start your Digital Transformation journey by making a wish list of problems to solve. Never pick new tech to try until you know what you’re going to do with it. For instance, our Real Estate clients already know they need to cut costs on show suites while communicating their project more effectively. In response, we provide a combination of interactive 3D walkthroughs, 3D digital renderings, immersive tours, as well as AR-enabled traditional marketing collateral. We’ve had clients solve one problem at a time or tackle multiple projects concurrently. Stambol can help make recommendations as to what problems can be solved with various technologies and what those solutions look like.
2. Establish Benefits at All Levels
Making changes to the way you do things makes some employees nervous. Some will be downright aggravated. Not everyone brings a visionary level of excitement to their work – and there’s nothing wrong with that because you want lots of personalities, giving fresh and different perspectives. But you’ll find everyone to be more positive and cooperative if they know why they’re doing it. Clear benefits for both the organization as a whole and the individual worker will go a long way to getting all your people moving in the same direction.
3. Choose a Strategic Starting Point
You’ve heard the old saying that every quest starts with a first step. It’s extremely relevant to updating your business processes and procedures. We never recommend cookie-cutter solutions. We know everyone’s starting point will be different. And few organizations have just one problem to solve. But whether you start with the low-hanging fruit of floor-level tool upgrades or tackle a huge, company-wide adoption of new and innovative software, you’ll come out ahead at the end of the day for having made at least one move forward.
4. Plan Ahead with Scalable Solutions
Wise leaders know what they don’t know. And sensible people know they can’t predict the future. So we know most answers to the question, “Where will your organization be in five years?” are educated guesses. Fortunately, the process of working with a technology partner – while reviewing your own goals and dreams – can position your business to respond efficiently in the future. Leaving room to grow can look different from company to company and industry to industry. Maybe you’re a retailer installing automated checkouts and transitioning cashiers to personal shopper roles. Or you’re a manufacturer bringing in automation and retraining people from assembly line roles to maintenance and quality control tasks. You can plan for growth, both physically and financially, in an achievable way, at your own pace.
5. Retain Proven, Knowledgeable Partners
Remember that point above? The bit about working with a technology partner? Unfortunately not all technology ‘experts’ come with the same background and experience. We recommend shopping around before you jump in with a partner in change. At Stambol, we are happy to help with this stage, even if we don’t end up working together. When we say our consultations come with no strings, we mean it. We know our work speaks for itself and our reputation didn’t grow overnight. But even though we’re confident we can solve problems, we also know the best relationships are between people, not logos.
6. Test, Measure, Regroup, & Refine
Experienced professionals know that nothing is perfect and mistakes happen. But how you respond and recover matters most. You will need to make adjustments as you implement a Digital Transformation strategy to make sure the solutions are fingerprint-tailored to your organization. The best companies constantly aren’t just watching the competition, they’re constantly evaluating their own performance. So after you bring in those smart scanner guns for your warehouse or that bespoke scheduling software for your head office, you look for ways to make it work harder and smarter – to make it truly yours.
Don’t Tackle Digital Transformation Alone
At Stambol, technology is the water we swim in. So we know how incorporating new hardware and software happens from start to finish.
And we have room for all kinds of clients. If you don’t see a company like yours in our portfolio, don’t be discouraged. We are always looking for new ways to partner with new industries. And our unique blend of engineering expertise and artistic vision gives us the tools we need to respond fluidly to new challenges.
Stambol has provided technology solutions from immersive property walkthroughs to AR marketing and research incubation. The confidence you hear in our words comes from decades of real world experience and a genuine love for innovation.
Ask a Stambol disruptor how we can solve problems like yours. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that we’ve seen it before.
Feature Image Credit: Shutter2U / Adobe Stock