5 key considerations for digital transformation

In simplest terms, it's the integration of technology throughout a business, replacing slow, more manual ways of working with digital systems that do the job better, faster, and all over more efficiently. But from thinking about digital transformation strategies and plotting roadmaps, to considering different digital technologies, the change can feel overwhelming. Wouldn't it be easier to stick with what you know? You're used to it, after all.

Interesting thought, but no. In this case change is good.

Unless your processes are up to date and you honestly can't think of a single thing that doesn't give you a bit of a headache, there's plenty that digital transformation can do for your business. And as a rather knowledgeable bunch who enable said transformation, we're here not just to advise you on what opportunities you have, but to deliver the solution too.

As excited as you are to get stuck in, it's easy for your enthusiasm to turn into a runaway train, or derail entirely, if you don't know where you're going. Before moving on to the 'how', or even the 'what', it's important to know the 'why'. Why do you need to focus on transformation? Because meeting customer expectations and adapting to their needs is now a critical issue. Why does it matter for your business? Because in an increasingly digital world, change happens fast and you need to be able to move with it at pace to at the very least keep up with your competitors.

Picking apart your motivations in these early stages means you're building a much stronger understanding of what to focus on in the exploration stage.

While you're planning the next step for your business, it's the perfect chance to do more than just ask a few basic questions in a briefing. In our experience, some of the best solutions are discovered through workshops with your team, helping gauge a deeper understanding of what problems you're trying to solve and how to set you up for success.

After that, we carry out our own research, exploring everything from technologies and platforms to user behaviour and design trends to help us formulate the ideal solution to challenges you're facing.

This process was invaluable for our work building Wightlink's user-centric website, where we held regular workshops to understand their pain points and requirements, as well as to discuss key phases of the design and build. While traditional user testing revealed the problems, these workshop sessions held on the actual ferry crossings helped discover why they persisted.

Customer research is one thing, but you can't move forward with the right solutions without first auditing your systems. When done right, this phase can spot transformation gaps and unearth inefficiencies, financial waste, chaotic processes and workflows, giving you a better idea of what areas you need to focus on for proper long-term planning.

From tech stacks to workflows, a digital transformation audit is intentionally broad to touch on multiple different areas of your business. You might find that software doesn't cover your needs anymore, outdated hardware is no longer secure, or that your systems are disconnected. Process mapping also helps you see what might otherwise stay invisible, flagging bottlenecks, jumbled responsibilities and where you can streamline workflows, helping your team communicate clearer.

Shining a light on the problem parts is always nerve wracking, but well worth doing – and it's why our clients trust us to guide them through it.

With all that data gathered, now you can get on with the exciting bit: finding what will not only transform your business, but keep the door open for future improvements too.

In our case, when we’ve collected all the necessary information we’ll design a comprehensive solution tailored to the specific needs of your business. Then once we’ve walked you through our findings, recommendations and overall solution, we’ll make sure we’re all aligned with clear requirements and goals, whether you’re looking to improve processes or develop a whole new site, CMS or app. After that, we can focus on bringing your project to life.

Take Tilt, for example. When Howden came to us, they wanted an experience that matched the expectations of modern customers whilst also operating within a regulated insurance environment. The challenge wasn't just in building an app, but to establish a foundation that could support a new way of operating and have a platform capable of evolving in a way that was predictive, not just responsive.

Ultimately change is a fact of life. It can be held up but it can't be stopped, and you don't want to end up on the wrong side of it compared to your competitors. So when you're considering your digital transformation journey, it's not just about focusing on that first stop, but having the insight to look to the next one and the one after that.

It's exactly how we future-proofed leading connector manufacturer Harwin. By rebuilding their website from the ground up, Harwin's various systems now all work together through our secure Faraday middleware, keeping products and stock up to date and website speeds 90% faster for a fantastic customer experience. No need for manual updates. A single source of truth for products. And with a 97% increase in filter interaction since launch, we know customers are using the changes implemented.diviD

If you’re fed up of feeling slowed down by frustrating processes, get in touch. We’d love to chat about what the future looks like for your business and help you figure out what to do about it.