Is your business taking full advantage of the digital transformation revolution?
Did you know that 70% of companies have a digital transformation strategy in place? Or that over the past few years, 40% of business spending went to adopting technology?
Over half of startups have embraced a digital strategy. However, many small and medium business owners have not yet implemented their plans in full.
This article explains what digital transformation is and how it can benefit your company.
Read on to learn why the "fourth industrial revolution" is helping businesses to improve efficiency and cut costs. We also identify the types of technology that will build the foundation for the next decade.
You'll discover how to move away from unproductive practices and build your own custom apps without writing code.
What Is Digital Transformation?
The global electronic revolution has ushered in the fourth industrial revolution.
Digital transformation has moved business practices in a new direction. Traditional manual services that were locally-based now span the globe in a digital ecosystem.
The Internet now allows business leaders to interact with customers and their workers like never before. Customers can offer direct feedback through a system that continues to evolve and improve.
Fundamentally, digital transformation revolves around change.
That change encompasses not only tech but also the business culture. It involves rethinking the end-user experience and how that affects operations. And it aims to generate new revenue, improve efficiency, and deliver the best value possible.
The Evolving World of Digital
Before modern technology, most businesses relied on paper. With the launch of the World Wide Web and its mainstream adoption, data shifted to a digital format.
Instead of faxes and memos, emails and instant messaging became the norm. Employees and decision-makers now speak via VoIP or video conferencing from anywhere in the world. And all at a fraction of the cost of older systems.
The Future of Digital Is Now
In 2021, machine learning and AI offer intelligent business technologies to all business sizes and types.
Small and medium-sized enterprises can access powerful analytics and insights into internal processes. They can build and maintain apps in-house, where several years ago, this wasn't possible.
Cloud computing provides a scalable solution for companies to host their data and services securely.
Amazon's AWS platform, for example, can host files and act as a backup service at a low cost. It even provides a no-code solution like Honeycode that doesn't require developer problem solvers.
Digital Definitions
Three core digital concepts often confuse things because they look and sound similar. However, each has its own distinct meaning.
- Digitization
- Digitalization
- Digital transformation
Digitization refers to the process of converting documents and data to a digital format, for example, transferring entries from a paper ledger to a spreadsheet or the FileMaker platform.
Digitalization sees business leaders integrate technology into existing processes to improve them. One example would be a mobile VoIP app replacing analog phone lines.
Digital transformation combines these concepts to leverage technology more efficiently. The goal is to achieve better performance, lower costs, and improve working conditions.
Digital Transformation Technologies
Modern technologies are designed to integrate together. New applications and devices will add to this network over time in an intelligent way.
To drive this innovation forward, the digital transformation technology stack uses the following frameworks.
Cloud Computing Services
The cloud refers to hosting data and accessing computing power and services via the Internet.
Cloud computing includes a global network of always-on servers. It's designed to provide software, infrastructures, and platforms "as a service" all day, every day.
Software as a service now powers many powerful applications like content management system software and file sharing.
Many small and medium-sized enterprises subscribe to these platforms. They don't have the hassle of installing apps from a CD. And cloud services work on any modern device, from a phone to a laptop computer.
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is set to dominate the world over the next decade.
By plugging in every type of product and device to the Internet, the world will become 'smart.' Think dog collars with embedded chips to let owners track their pets. Or industrial machines constantly sharing data to become more efficient.
Low-Code and No-Code Solutions
Building applications remains a crucial step in digital transformation. But it doesn't have to be complicated.
Low-code development uses a graphical interface to create apps instead of writing lines of code.
For instance, Claris FileMaker improves business operations and productivity through its simple editor. Team members become problem solvers through the template system.
The Support Group encourages our customers to try FileMaker's powerful tools for themselves. They soon discover that a little work will produce amazing results that benefit everyone.
Low-code solutions allow business users to customize their apps by adding simple blocks of code if required. In contrast, no-code solutions keep things really easy through a drag-and-drop interface.
Building apps takes minutes, not months, using Honeycode. Results integrate with existing processes, and all team members can contribute.
Benefits of Digital Transformation for Business Leaders
Decision-makers and process experts can both benefit from digital transformation in many ways, including:
- Improved team workflows
- Access to real-time insights about system performance
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Enhancing customer experiences
The benefits don't stop there as many small and medium business owners see reduced overheads.
They no longer need to pay for expensive custom apps or internal servers. Cloud computing and modern digital systems pass on economies of scale, which benefit everyone.
Build for Digital Success With The Support Group
Digital transformation means evolving your company to take advantage of modern technology.
That involves a change of mindset, even from everyday tasks like sharing spreadsheets via email or unexpected tasks like managing customer and employee interactions remotely all of a sudden.
The Support Group recognizes the full benefits of digital transformation. And we want to show you how to take advantage of them.
Our offices in Boston, New York, LA, and San Francisco help small and medium business owners every day. By leveraging the power of FileMaker and Honeycode, we can help you build your own apps with ease.
Why not contact us today?
Leverage the power of digital transformation technologies and build with confidence and success with The Support Group.
