Digital transformation is just one question away

When you arrive at work in the morning, ask yourself: what would make your product, service or process better? For us, that’s an integral part of any digital transformation. Not because of the potential answer (although that’s important too, as we’ll explain below), but because you’re asking the question in the first place.

The mindset

The start of any digital transformation is developing the right mindset. This means asking questions like the one above and then putting on your design hat. Consider what your ideal solution would look like, how it would be used, and what the results might be. Forget about technology (the ‘how’) for now, and focus on actively searching out digital solutions to your business problems.

Also, remember that you need to make sure everyone in your organisation thinks the same way — starting at the top. If your CEO isn’t on board, then you’re never going to achieve meaningful transformation.

Answering the question

Now that you’re in the right mindset, it’s time to make things happen. So, back to the original question: what would make life better for your business and its customers? It could be anything. A dashboard summarising the morning’s relevant statistics. Software that automatically fills in people’s timesheets, whatever they’re working on. Maybe an AI chatbot that handles your customer service. Whatever you decide you need, the next hurdle is getting it made.

Taking the next step

Because you’re looking for a specific solution, it’s unlikely that you’ll find what you need on the shelf. You have to build it from scratch. For many — particularly startups and SMEs — this can be a little intimidating. After all, bespoke software is extremely expensive, right? Well, not exactly.

In recent years the market for bespoke software has become much more competitive. This, as well as advances in web technology, means that prices are noticeably lower than they would have been just five years ago. It’s now a viable option that many businesses, big and small, are taking advantage of.

Yes, the costs still might be a little higher than off the shelf software. But the return on your investment can be significantly higher, too, thanks to the increased level of customisation that’s up for grabs.

What to look out for when buying custom software

Keep in mind, however, that it’s important to go about this process carefully. After all, the aforementioned competitive market means there’s a huge selection of companies to work with — not all of which will be ideal for you.

To succeed, your business needs to be agile. Just because you’ve had a good idea, doesn’t mean that it can’t be better, or that it won’t need to change thanks to external forces (market shifts, new technologies etc.) For that reason, it’s imperative that you take a flexible approach when you work towards your digital goals. That way you can pivot when necessary, and take your digital solutions in the best possible direction.

That means you need to work with companies that are similarly agile.

Some companies even offer user experience (UX) design and prototyping as a first stage. This allows you to visualise your ideas from the outset, and get designs into the hands of stakeholders. That way you can change direction before even a single line of code is written.

It’s the way we work here at Newicon. And for good reason. It helps our clients achieve their own digital transformation while reducing their risk.

Where next?

Digital transformation is clearly a big undertaking for any business. But not if you break it down into manageable chunks. Start by asking yourself: “if I could design a digital solution that would make my life easier, what would it be?”. Answer that and you’ll have overcome the most difficult challenge that digital transformation has to offer.

After that, the sky’s the limit. Consider your customers — what digital solutions could you introduce to make life easier for them? Then examine your wider business objectives. How could digital technology help your business achieve its high-level goals? The list of questions goes on, but each answer will bring you one step closer to becoming a lean, efficient and profitable digital business.

Want to know more? Give us a call today on 0117 205 0425 or email us at theteam@newicon.net and we’ll work with you to figure out what your digital transformation could look like.