Navigate the digital transformation journey with Q Associates

February 1, 2022

For many businesses, digital transformation is viewed as a one-off project; “Once we have digitised our processes, we’ll achieve true data-driven operations.” But by adopting this mindset, many businesses are unlikely to realise the full potential of their transformation efforts.

The reality is that digital transformation is a journey, a process of continuous improvement. Indeed, the whole reason for digitally transforming your business is to make it easier to access and use your data strategically.

Keep reading to find out what you can expect from digital transformation in 2022, and how to navigate the upcoming challenges so your business can reach its full potential.

Digitisation vs Digital Transformation

The past 20 months have forced businesses to rapidly overhaul their operations to maintain some degree of continuity. According to Dell, 80% of businesses fast-tracked digital transformation projects during 2020. Technology played a pivotal role in delivering products and services digitally or facilitating remote working during lockdown.

Although an important step towards a digitally transformed future, many of these provisions have been hastily assembled without proper long-term goal or planning. And the reality is that despite taking this important first step towards digital transformation, the majority still do not have a formalised strategy for the future.

Where we might have wondered whether the process of digital transformation would be permanent, our experiences show it is definitely here to stay. Innovative technologies are changing the shape of business today across every industry. The convenience and innovation of digital alternatives are providing a competitive advantage for businesses making a permanent shift towards digitalised operations.

Looking further forward, organisations must increase operational agility so that they can evolve what they do. This will allow them to constantly realise new benefits, and compete against new, nimble competitors.

With a critical need to improve IT’s impact on the business, organisations are investing more in technology. Some are now making a shift from big multi-year projects to looking at breaking projects into shorter (quicker) timescales that delivers change faster. By embracing constant, incremental change, these firms are steadily moving towards developing a digital transformation culture.

What can we expect in 2022?

Having seen what newer technologies offer, many businesses are starting to think on a larger scale. Almost all – 89% – believe that the pandemic has demonstrated the need for greater IT scalability to better manage future disruption. Similarly, more than 80% expect to use AR/VR and AI to improve operations in future – but less than one-third have budgeted for these new technologies.

Obviously, there are many possible reasons for this disconnect, but a lack of a clear digital transformation strategy is an obvious factor. It’s also important to realise that the data behind these technologies is where the greatest value is realised. It is intelligent data that unlocks digital transformation, particularly when it flows between different applications to create new experiences.

Importantly, data will need to be actionable, driving improvements for business outcomes and tailoring services to individual customer preferences. Artificial Intelligence will surface previously invisible insights, increasing the actionable value and quality of your data. Ongoing digital transformation efforts must focus on consolidating data and leveraging it in more impactful ways. Again, this is a process of continuous improvement, constantly looking for new ways to analyse information and apply insights. Fostering a culture of experimentation will encourage your colleagues to innovate for the benefit of the business and customers.

Integration will be key

With so many disparate applications and channels, your business is collecting ever-increasing amounts of information. Integrating these data sets to break down silos should be one of the primary goals of the IT leader over the coming year – and beyond.

Ultimately, digital assets are more actionable, adding powerful layers of insights that will drive your organisation forward.

Is it too late to start your digital transformation journey?

Just 6% of businesses are currently classified as digital leaders, organisations who have digital ingrained in their corporate DNA. A further 39% have a mature digital strategy and funding in place. Which means that more than half of your competitors are in the same place as you – racing to catch the leaders and avoid being left behind.

However, one of the major benefits of digital transformation is to accelerate operations and increase efficiency. Formalising your strategy helps to build momentum that will propel growth, allowing you to make up ground on your industry leaders. It is never too late to begin your digital transformation journey.

Q Associates offers a full suite of services that can help get you started and ensure your business has the correct expertise, advice and resources for your digital transformation journey. Read through our Specialist Network Service guide here to find out more.

Navigating digital transformation challenges

Transformation of any kind is invariably challenging. Whatever approach your business chooses to adopt towards digital transformation, partnering with an independent expert like Q Associates will help you make smarter choices. Because we are not allied to any specific supplier or methodology, we can present the IT solutions and services that best suit your specific requirements.

Our independent experts will help you start the journey – and continue pushing the limits of digital transformation into the future. We are helping enterprises in all industries do just this, meeting their current – and future – challenges through key value drivers; infrastructure services and data management, cloud, networking and security and modern workspaces and applications.

Call Q Associates today to discuss your goals and how we can help you start your digital transformation journey.