Digital Transformation: The paradigm shift towards business as usual

Where back in the days technology, techies, were seen as weird people which every office needed for I(C)T development and maintance, this view has changes. We are now looking with respect to all kinds of self-made technology billionars of Sillicon Valley. Compared to the pre 2000’s, technology is a hot topic. There is a lot of noise around different elements and types of new technology. Whether we talk about 3D-printing, Augmented Reality, Big Data, Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud, (SMAC) + Internet of Things (SMACT), Wireless Power, Robotics, Computer brain interfaces, Human Augmentation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Customer Experience (DCX), all these topics are in the marketing buzz machines of big industrial leaders or even made on kitchentables by (as Chris Anderson called them) the makers of these days. Lets deepdive in the topic Digital Transformation:

  • “What is Digital Transformation?”
  • “How can I use Digital Transformation in my advantage?”
  • “How to implement a Digital Transformation Strategy”
  • “How can I offer solutions that serves the client/ customer need in 2020?”
  • “What is the relation between Digital Transformation & Digital Customer Experience?”

If you ask me:

“Digital Transformation is the collective noun of the movement which intertwine the physical and digital world to better determine client, customer and target audience needs to deliver excellent products & services with an excellent digital experience by the use of new technology.”

The reason  why I come up with this definition is as follows. Every company exist because it delivers some sort of value, in some sort of way, to some sort of audience. A lot of ‘some sorts’, you might say, and, you are right. But does your company knows, why they deliver what to whom? If you are thinking, on one of those point above I have know idea what I am doing, keep on reading. If you do this already, congratiulations, keep that position. On the other hand, who says that you are doing this already? You, or your client? That is right, keep on reading as well.

Digital Transformation refers to the use of digital tools, new technology to better define customer needs. When companies can define customer/ client needs in a better way, they can provide a better solution. A better solution, whether it is a product or service. Defining customer needs has always been the key activity in marketing. And, even this core activity has changed to ‘hang out’ on digital for some brands, defining needs is key. Because delivering what your audience need is the reason why you exist as a company. To build upon that, customers are getting more and more familiar with digital concepts. Adoption of new technology is increasing by wearable technology and so there is a shift of channel choise on the client side. For that reason companies should make sure that they deliver in the new JIT methode. In the right channel, on the right time, delivering the right solution for the customer need. That it, bottomline, what every new technology is about. Increasing your company to identify B2C/ B2B needs to provide them with better solutions.

The Guardians ‘s Howard King describes in his article called: “What is digital transformation?”  three key drivers of transformation:

“There are three key drivers of transformation: changing consumer demand, changing technology and changing competition. These, of course, are an ecosystem and it is always a convergence of factors that brings about changes in a market.”

There is no such thing as disruption

There is no such thing as overall disruption. The only thing we see today in different market segments all over the world is that companies deliver their belief in a different way then they used to deliver. The Digital way. The reason for this is, that they need to… Customers, clients and target audience groups can no longer be found in traditional channels. Therefor, companies need to change the way they deliver their reason of existance in other, non traditional, channels. And that relates also to another topic where a lot of people are thinking about these days: Digital Customer Experience (DCX).

But, even is Digital Tormation as a fall of business as usual, it tells us something else: “Digital Transformation: The paradigm shift towards business as usual”

Adapt or Die

And that, that is what I call: Digital Transformation. For that reason I will give you the same advice as my Sogeti ViNT colleagues. Design To Disrupt.

“Are you the one who is going to disrupt, or are you going to be disrupted?”

Here is the complete article on Slideshare

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