A digital transformation strategy is to create capabilities to fully leverage the possibilities and opportunities in new technologies and to make a faster and better impact. This is a strategy that businesses should adopt if they want to evolve and survive.
Digital technologies like cloud computing, analytics, mobile computing, social media, IoT, 3D printing, drones, artificial intelligence, and robotics are creating a huge impact on businesses.
Companies need to adopt these technologies in their operations by engaging their customers and empowering their employees with the necessary skills. Companies like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft have used digital transformation to grow faster and to improve their productivity.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime technology shift to transform every industry and business in the world by evolving faster and by investing in new business models on the latest technologies.
Design thinking as a tool:
Design thinking is one of the key tools for digital transformation. We can obtain a practical and creative resolution to problems using this technique. It is a significant, different way of thinking with the intent of producing a constructive result considering the end-user.
Design thinking employs divergent thinking, which is a way to make sure that we explore many possible solutions while resolving a problem. Design thinking includes “building up” ideas during a “brainstorming” phase. This helps to reduce the fear of failure of the participant(s) and encourages comments and participation from a variety of sources in the “ideation” phase.
Design thinking takes into account user experience in designing a solution to a problem faced by end-users. In simple words, Design thinking is nothing but putting yourself in the customer’s shoes to gain empathy and awareness for their needs while designing a solution.
It is the way to go paperless and protect the environment.
Skills required for Digital transformation:
Employees must have skills like familiarity with new technology, data analysis, interpersonal skills and the ability to learn quickly in a fast-paced environment, to adapt to digital transformation. Creativity and ability to execute and a customer-centric approach are also important skills required.
There is a big demand for people who have these skills and there are great job opportunities in the marketplace.
Digital transformation should target improving customer experience by the digitisation of operational processes, recreating new business models and utilising design thinking, to survive in a competitive marketplace.