If you’re not convinced digital will play a crucial role or even take over your business in the coming years, whichever the industry, think again.
Digital transformation is a buzz word, and it’s annoying when people bring it up, but honestly the digital future is wide-open…and it’s only getting started. Entrepreneurs all over the world are creating start-ups in the hope to disrupt industries. They all have one thing in common: digital is a crucial part in their path to disruption.
Although tons of small and big companies think the digital era is a threat, this is actually a huuuge opportunity. This is pretty important so I will say it again, this is a HUUUGGEEE opportunity and you should take advantage of this!
Digital transformation has two faces
Incorporating digital in your business models
Existing companies have to look at their existing business model and not only think how digital could become a part of it, but how digital could completely take over and tweak the existing business model.
Uber and Airbnb did exactly that. They looked at an existing business model, put digital at the core and tweaked the business model from B2C to peer-to-peer. Imagine how many B2C models you can reinvent to a peer-to-peer model……TONS!
Of course it’s easier said than done, but it’s time companies commit to transform digitally because otherwise they will face some serious issues in the coming years.
Creating a digital workspace
People are rapidly getting used to the digital evolutions and it quickly changed their expectations on the workfloor.
Employees, certainly the younger ones, are expecting an open environment where they can access their work from anywhere on any device while being able to rapidly communicate and collaborate on content.
The cloud technologies arising in the B2B space are fascinating. It will completely alter the way companies function, giving employees the freedom and flexibility to get things done more quickly.
To become stay successful you need to both incorporate digital into your business models as well as your internal processes.
Who will be responsible to do all this?
Incorporating digital in both your business models and your internal functioning is a big responsibility, but as you hopefully understand, a strategy you will have to commit too.
In most cases the CEO drives strategies through the company, but in this case a deep understanding of technology and an innovative mindset is a must have skill set. In most cases the CEO will not suffice and therefore you need to create the role for the Chief Digital Officer. The CDO’s job is to drive the strategy of incorporating digital in both the business models and the internal functioning because this is the only way you will make digital a part of your culture.