Digital Transformation: A Guide for Modern Businesses

Before transforming your organization, you must understand what the process looks like. Essentially, a digital transformation converts physical or analog workflows into digital ones.

For example, you could transform your record intake process. The analog process relies on paper documentation, with customers filling out their forms by hand. An effective transformation would create a digital intake form. This form could then transfer information into a digital record-keeping system for easy access.

Elements of a digital transformation

• First, there’s digitization. This process includes converting individual files. For example, you could scan your incoming physical mail and upload the files to a central database.
• Then, there’s digitalization, which involves converting entire processes. For example, you could create a daily process for mailroom employees to open and digitize messages. This process would include automation to ensure files are stored where needed. It could also include quality control steps to reduce errors.
• Once an organization converts enough of its processes, it has undergone digital transformation.

Making the digital leap isn’t easy — especially if your organization relies on legacy processes or systems. It’s not an impossible challenge to overcome, though. All you need is a strategy that will help you assess your needs, set and align goals, and roll out changes when they’re ready.

Overcoming digital transformation challenges

• Security: Physical documents need to be locked away and monitored to prevent theft. Digital files need a similar approach to security. Data encryption, redaction, and access management tools will protect your files from intruders.
• Internal resistance: Not everyone will immediately be on board with changes to well-worn processes. Bringing stakeholders in for hands-on training can help bridge that gap.
• Technical debt: Legacy systems can cause new problems with your infrastructure. Be sure to address them during the transformation process.

Once you’ve developed your transformation strategy, you need a framework to help you see it through to the end. This framework will allow you to design a transformation infrastructure with the best performance once everything’s up and running. It will also help you manage the impact of process changes to overcome old habits.

Three keys to creating a successful digital transformation framework

• The people who monitor the digital transformation process through every step. They should work with key stakeholders to reduce the likelihood of red tape impeding progress.
• A process that includes workflow meetings to keep stakeholders up to date. Use this time to answer tough questions about how the transition will impact day-to-day operations.
• The tools needed to track progress. These include survey tools to gauge employee sentiment. You can also use value capture models to provide concrete results of its outcome.