Blog

If there is one thing that has impacted the business world more than anything in recent history, it’s the need for Digital Transformation. But, for many the question remains: What is Digital Transformation exactly, and how does it pertain to my business?

The answer is not as complex as you may think. Simply put, Digital Transformation is nothing more than the adoption of technology and data as part of its core operations. And what is fascinating about this is how it is driving more business.

Every day, we engage through data. Whether it be social media, eCommerce, ordering food, or hired rides to the local mall—every interaction translates to data that can be leveraged to provide a better and more meaningful experience. For instance, every food order you make through an online service such as SkipTheDishes or Uber Eats enables those services to further suggest additional foods that you may like and appreciate.

However, that experience is no longer special. In fact, I would wager that you not only like that type of experience, but also you downright expect it. And if you don’t, you are in the minority of modern technology users.

You see, this “digital expectation” is the key to understanding Digital Transformation—it is the impetus of change for organizations of all types. As more and more data-driven experiences are introduced into the global technology ecosystem, people’s individual habits and expectations become one. This means that everyone from restaurants, to grocers, to retailers, and more, are being held to a standard that just a short time ago didn’t even exist.

Here’s an example. If we use Uber Eats as the initial creator of habit and expectation—meaning their app and system learned your likes and dislikes and now caters to you in a highly personalized way—why would you not expect that from others? If Uber Eats knows what you like to eat, why doesn’t your favorite restaurant?

And though the logical answer is that Uber Eats has a system to gather data and use it to cater to you, then why wouldn’t the logical expectation be that your restaurants, grocery stores, and retail outlets should also have the same systems and same types of data. Seriously, shouldn’t they?

Therein lies the truth about what Digital Transformation really is: the concept that people grow to appreciate digital customer engagement practices that equal personalized service from a few (and growing) businesses. Therefore, the expectation that you keep pace follows.

For the first time in history, consumers are now placing their own unique expectations on the business world, as opposed to the business world dictating what all consumers uniformly receive. Better still, this is where old ideas of antiquated terms such as “Customer Journey” become borderline comical—implying that all customers get the same service, the same offers and ads as everyone else. In the age of Digital Transformation, it’s funny to say out loud, is it not?

So what does the future hold? At this point, little can be done to avoid the juggernaut that is Digital Transformation—there is nothing that will stop it. Thus, the only course of action is to fully embrace it—and to do so before it becomes the norm and you’re left behind. Perhaps you think such a course of action equals prohibitive costs, it doesn’t. On the contrary, it’s simple and affordable.

Luckily, the technology needed to keep pace with Digital Transformation has evolved simultaneously to the point where regardless of your business or model, creating a digital customer engagement strategy is quite straightforward. Gone are the days of massive custom development costs, extended times-to-market, and so on. Now it’s as easy as signing up for a service, uploading a logo and a few files, and you are on your way.

Customer expectations are obviously evolving quickly. As such, your own customers are expecting more and your business must adapt to and meet their expectations. Now that it’s easy to adopt new ways of personalization, why wouldn’t you get a head-start on your competition and embrace the way your customers, and theirs, want to shop?

Want to know just how simple it is? In the time it takes you to plan and rollout your next campaign, your own Digital Transformation project could have been almost completed.

Don’t believe me? Then challenge us.