How to succeed in your digital transformation?

Since the arrival of computers, and especially the Internet, businesses have seen their way of operating and their working methods completely changed. This is what we call the digital revolution and the digital transformation.

Faced with the new challenges of collaboration, reputation and user experience, companies must rethink their strategy, organization, management, as well as the way they communicate and market. Indeed, digital transformation impacts all levels of the company:

• the work space,
• access to documents,
• collaboration between employees,
• internal and external communication,
• data security and confidentiality,
• processes and work tools,
• decision making,
• the products,
• the customer relationship.

For example, to attract more consumers, businesses must multiply their contact points in addition to the traditional physical point of sale, in particular via a website, one or more accounts on social networks, a mobile site, etc. Another example, the dematerialization of files, which makes it easier to access them and eliminate the storage of paper documents.

To continue to grow, stand out from the competition, and succeed, businesses need to embrace digital transformation. Are you wondering how to do it? Here are 6 steps to follow to succeed in your digital transformation.

1. Conduct an audit

To begin with, you must carry out an audit in order to know the existing solutions within your company and thus determine what the company's needs in terms of digitalization are.

To do this, consult your employees in the various departments of the company to define with them what tools are best suited to succeed in digital transformation, improve their work and improve the customer experience.

2. Raise awareness among your employees and set goals

Your employees are the first to be impacted by this digital transformation. To ensure its success, start by setting specific goals to be achieved through the digitalization of the company. Then, make your employees aware of the changes they will face and the new tools they will have to use.

Indeed, your employees must understand why the company is adopting new tools and new work processes, and how these changes will impact their daily role and tasks. If they understand that these transformations will help make their daily lives easier, they will be more likely to accept them.

You should also explain to them what the advantages of digital transformation are and how it makes it possible to meet specific objectives in line with a global strategic vision of the company. This is how you will engage, inspire and motivate your employees to get involved in this transformation.

3. Digitize progressively

The digital transformation of your business won't happen overnight. It should be done step by step, at your own pace. You need to define a detailed plan with goals to achieve, directions to follow, and tools to adopt.

Here are a few examples:

• Digitize your internal processes to increase productivity by adopting electronic invoicing, cloud data storage, etc.
• Start using social networks to win over new consumers.
• Expand your range of products/services or create new ones in order to create new opportunities for growth.
• Find new ways to sell your products to differentiate yourself from the competition.
• Facilitate team collaboration by adopting a collaborative solution such as Wimi which makes it possible to improve teamwork, in particular by facilitating communication and file sharing.

You will learn as you go. Do not hesitate to test the various software and applications before making your choice. Especially since almost all of them offer a free version or several days of trial without commitment. Select the ones best suited to your needs and those that are most appreciated by your employees.

4. Implement change management

This digital transformation will change the work habits of your employees. In order to guarantee the success of this digitalization and its acceptance by all your employees, it is important to set up a change management. This consists in explaining to them the reasons for these changes and supporting them throughout the digital transformation process so that it takes place in the best conditions.

Listen to your employees, answer their questions and reassure their fears and doubts by offering them concrete solutions, such as training and coaching. If they feel listened to and if they see the implementation of real solutions to facilitate their adaptation, they will more easily accept digital transformation and contribute to its success.

For more efficiency, do not hesitate to involve your employees in the digitalization of their profession. It's a great way to get them interested and motivated to adopt new behaviors and tools.

5. Train your employees

For your employees to remain efficient and adapt to changes and developments in the company, you need to encourage and help them acquire new skills. Training is therefore an essential tool for the success of digital transformation.

All company personnel must be trained in new work processes, in the use of new digital tools as well as in the new digital corporate culture.

6. Evaluate and adjust

As with any change, it is essential to monitor, assess and analyze the impact of digital transformation on business results. To do this, you can rely on various indicators or KPI such as customer experience, customer satisfaction and retention, employee productivity before and after digital transformation, etc. Then, use the data collected in this way to make adjustments and improve work processes.

Conclusion

“The biggest challenge with digital transformation is changing the wheel of the car without stopping it.” Éric Blot, President, Lespeakers.

Digital transformation involves radical changes within the company. To succeed, you must prepare your organization and your employees to face these changes, in particular by raising their awareness beforehand, by setting goals to be achieved and by gradually digitizing yourself. Train your staff and assess your results to make the necessary adjustments that will confirm the success of your digital transformation.