Digital Transformation, Benefits, and Possible Trends in 2021

Digital transformation means different things for each organization, and that’s why some organizations are in the planning phase, some in the middle of implementation and some are struggling with the very concept. This digital change is not limited to large organizations but small businesses and start-ups are also welcoming and adapting to the current changing market conditions to stay competitive. Technology has changed the way we interact, talk, meet, and change the way we work and this blog will discuss digital transformation, benefits of digital transformation, and some transformation trends to watch out for in 2021.

Digital transformation

The digital transformation for a business improves business processes, business culture, and customer experience by adopting new AI technology to meet changing business and market requirements. This change of business with new AI technology in the current scenario is known as digital transformation. A business needs to integrate areas within the organization – from tools to apps or Softwares, workflow, customer engagement, employee skills, etc., changing how companies operate in the modern world and delivering the best to its customers and stakeholders. 

There is no single technology or software for a business to move forward with digital transformation. Digital transformation is all about continuous improvement of the businesses processes, experimenting new ways of doing business, and adapting fast to stay relevant in this current digital world. In simple words, changing the overall business ecosystem to improve performance and efficiency of the organization is called digital transformation. 

Benefits of digital transformation

Increased efficiency

One of the main reasons businesses are opting for digital transformation is that it provides increased efficiency by getting rid of commute time, time spent on administrative tasks, and searching for information that can be achieved quickly with technology. This saved time can be used to complete other studies, which will result in increased customer service, better product quality, improved workflow, and information management. 

Increased customer satisfaction

The most significant advantage of using artificial intelligence and cloud computing has improved customer satisfaction as businesses have customer-specific information that can be analyzed to improve the products and services to serve better. One such example of digital transformation is on-day delivery, which is possible by analyzing consumer behavior and enhancing business to match the requirements.

Getting an edge over others

The businesses that have opted for digital transformation have already improved profits, and digitizing workflow has helped their business get an edge over those businesses that still follow traditional methods of doing work.

Some of the benefits of digital transformation for a business:

• Saving valuable time by providing easy and quick access to information.
• Protecting the environment by switching from paper to digital documents.
• Easy access to information even from a remote location wherever and whenever.
• Improved internal as well as external communication and increased collaboration at all levels in the organization.

Possible digital transformation trends to watch in 2021 

In this digital age, businesses have started shifting their focus from the physical to creating a digital presence to remain future-ready and in front of their competitors. Some organizations are in the planning phase, and some started their digital transformation service. The pandemic has also helped the organization to realize the importance of digital transformation, and a wave of new working methods is introduced that have become new normal for businesses. Here are some digital transformation trends to watch in 2021:

5G technology

The pandemic has shifted the work culture across the globe. The need for faster connectivity has grown with work from home, video conference, and digital collaboration became an essential part of our lives. COVID-19 has increased our dependence on smartphones, tablets, and intensified the demand as workers left their offices in well-connected areas to suburbs and beyond, which are not well connected. 5G has become a crucial piece of organizations and they can’t bear to be disengaged looking at its futuristic advantages. The value of 5G connectivity increased as the whole world sees its direct implication on work, schools, and our homes.

Application Programming interfaces (APIs)

Cloud is one of the most popular digital transformation trends that companies have adopted to make consistent business improvements. Application programming interfaces (APIs) are becoming a crucial part of this transformation trend. APIs are actively assisting organizations that are opting to change old storage infrastructure to micro-services. These APIs are reducing the data storage needs and help in giving a collaborative experience. Opting for these advanced technologies will help them analyze one big digital piece of information stored in one place, helping them take critical business-decisions and increase their ROI.

Automation in workspace

The post-pandemic has increased the importance of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence, providing an increasingly cost-effective solution for both in-house and outsourced business activities. Automation is the only thing that will ensure an organization’s smooth working when the employees are unable to be present physically in the office. It gives the advantages of cost reduction, increased efficiency, more precision, higher customer experience, and process flexibility to a business, which is one of the crucial reasons why companies will most likely invest in this in 2021. This digital trend has gained momentum as businesses increasingly look for affordable solutions for both small and large organizations.  

Work from Home

Organizations like Google and Facebook have extended their work from home till mid-June, and many organizations, both big and small, are adapting to this new flexible work approach. Economies are gradually resuming, and employees are returning to their organizations; many organizations choose to permit remote work options for employees as a flexible work approach. WFH provides opportunities to save office space, equipment, supplies, and utilities as the employees work from a remote location. The other advantage of why this trend can continue even in 2021 is that it helps increase workers’ morale and productivity as they have their schedule to manage the work that can be monitored by using workforce management tools.

Final thoughts

The pandemic has given businesses time to think and analyze the possible future if the same trends will continue even in 2021. Organizations are searching for better ways and technologies that provide them an edge over their competitors and make their business future-ready. Post-pandemic time is going to be crucial for organizations as most of them will be in the transformation or adaptation phase under the new market conditions.