How to overcome these 4 digital transformation challenges

Even since the boom of internet usage in the late 1990s the world as we have known it has seen a huge change in various aspects and in different fields. 

Digital became the new way for businesses to reach out to their customers and to offer their products and their services and that was the start of the era of digitalization. This introduction of the online feature has pushed the development and the adoption of evolving technologies and processes that are adequate and that will bring more impact and gain than the traditional practices. 

Fast forward to 2022, digital transformation is no longer a choice; businesses have to change the core of their enterprise to ensure digital solutions to their now connected customers. No matter how big or small the company, choosing to transform digitally must be a decision taken with a lot of care since it will need planning and flexibility from various stakeholders. 

While it is the new way to increase efficiency, maximize profits and offer unique opportunities to grow and innovate in your offering, it also introduces various challenges that must be taken into consideration. So, once you are going to undertake the challenge of digital transformation projects, keep in mind that there are multiple difficulties that you need to be aware of to overcome them. You can get in touch with our experts if you’re considering a digital transformation project and get the bigger picture, from where to start and expected outcomes. 

No change management strategy

One of the most crucial things to keep in mind as a blocker for this new way of doing business is the lack of change management strategy. Many companies either don’t have the will or the ability to have a detailed implementation plan for new projects which automatically sets this digital transformation up to failure because there is no thorough strategy behind this change.   

Outdated organizational structures, inefficient workflows, and rigid leadership styles can all be factors of failure. Which is why when undertaking such a huge change as digitalizing the core of your business, being able to strategize beforehand is a must. It is crucial to have a detailed strategy for this change, a plan that identifies all elements of the business, the roots of possible future issues all while building a healthy relationship with different stakeholders. Having a clear process and objectives to follow which are also communicated with the employees is the key solution to successfully ensure a change of that caliber. Having a hand from external consultants to deploy the best solution would for sure make things easier and well organized. 

Talent shortage

We can also state that one of the recurring challenges of digital transformation is talent shortage, especially IT skills. these profiles are the most needed assets to ensure the success of this process and they are generally a lack of expertise in:  

• Cybersecurity 
• Data analytics  
• Technical architecture  
• Digital Marketing 

Becoming a company that totally works in the digital field induces that there is an evident need for qualified and dedicated resources that will lead the workforce and allow the company to conclude that change. But one of the issues companies faces is the huge lack of these profiles in the market. Without them you can’t overcome the digital transformation challenges that you will face along the way. That’s why it is super important to keep in mind even before the launch of the transformation that you will be needing some experts with a new set of digital skills in order to ensure this transformation. 

This can be done either by recruiting new employees that or, you can also call out for consultants that will guide the team throughout this change and that will organize the needs of your business and track your development.  

The challenge of agile transformation

Digitalization can’t be possible without agile transformation. It is crucial for the scaling of a successful digital transformation since it is one of the most important initiatives to keep in mind. Flexibility, speed, communication and cross-functional setups are the base that should be laid in the foundation to ensure an efficient digital transformation. 

Having a flexible architecture in the company to manage different technologies at the same time while also reducing the costs of their usage is a huge advantage when transferring the core of the enterprise to be online. 

We can’t also deny the role of communication in the establishment of agile transformation. Each individual in the team should be aware of his role and exact tasks to be able to align them to the values and principles of the whole company.  

Agile transformation is the improved process of technology implementation which explains its importance, in order to be able to embrace new emerging technologies and drive the company towards growth. 

The rejection of change culture

This might be one of the simplest and easiest details that most companies underestimate while they are opting for digital transformation, and it is the fact of not taking into consideration the culture of change rejection. 

Usually, companies opting for this transformation have a stricter structure and an old mentality so they will certainly be difficult to adapt. People are generally against any kind of change which can be explained by their fear of the new conditions and their worry of not being able to adapt and learn these new ways. 

This rejection of change can seriously affect the transformation process because this negative attitude will certainly make employees not cooperate, and they won’t make any effort to ensure a successful change. It is a simple detail that can be solved just by simply having a continuous communication even before the decision of digitalization. The goal is to explain to everyone what is actually going to happen and make proper identification of what everyone needs to do which will make them feel involved in the process. They are aware of what is going on so there won’t be the surprise factor and they will know that their place in the company won’t be affected yet, their participation is impactful so they will take part of it positively. 

Modern day businesses today big or small, are all opting for digital transformation because of its beneficial impact on winning over customers. Nevertheless, it is also very crucial to have in mind that the process is complex and that there is a need to create an efficient ecosystem to be able to conduct that change perfectly. Having a proper strategy to follow, informed people, an efficient process and an agile attitude are necessary for a successful digital transformation.