How business digitalization can help companies in times of crisis

Using cloud repositories and mobile app to foster communication between team collaborators is only a part of what we call Digital Transformation.

Have you ever seen that, despite the world being increasing connected, companies of all sizes and fields still keep fighting to digitalize their business chains? This is due to a simple fact; industry leaders have already understood that using cloud repositories and mobile applications to foster communication between team collaborators is only a small part of what we call Digital Transformation.

In order to truly make companies smarter and more effective, it is necessary to dive deep and extract maximum value from technologies, especially when it comes to data analysis. This is the major advantage of business digitalization: triggering opportunities for improvement with regard to operational efficiency and business generation. This becomes increasingly apparent in times of crisis such as the one we are currently experiencing with the Coronavirus pandemic.

Surveys indicate that companies with a solid digital culture are reacting better to the changes caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. In a practical way, they are more capable of reacting to their team’s decentralization (and information) requirements, optimizing customer experience and redirecting their scenario analyses for more predictive and strategic assessments.

However, only a few organizations have managed to advance in this journey. Surveys from leaders in international consulting surmise that not even major global corporations have made much headway in their digitalization projects so far. It is estimated that, on average, these companies have digitized less than 30% of their internal and sales operations. In Brazil, market studies show that more than 40% of organizations adopted a home office model during the pandemic while 20% of these mention the process of digitalization as a challenge in this transition. 

The reason behind these numbers is the need to balance investments between the present and the future. Producing more and reducing costs has always been a basic business pairing, which can make focusing on long-term plans very challenging especially due to constant technology changes.

Another reason is that digitalization is a complex process that requires engagement and specialization. This is true because in addition to managing the company’s day-by-day, teams also have to deal with an exponential increase in data volume requiring digitalization. Thus, it is hard to keep global information visibility and digital strategy development within the organizations.

The crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic shows however that no matter how complex this journey is, investing in the process digitalization is an essential step for companies who plan to make a living in the Industry 4.0 era. It is evident that relying on expert partners is the best way for these innovation efforts to release the potential of their team.

 Moreover, digitalization will enable a reduction in interruptions caused by isolated block existence, or by operational gaps in the IT infrastructure. Digitalization helps create a smarter and more predictable environment, leading to a higher performance in monitoring and maintenance – something vital for companies who are fighting against crises and vital to consumers who, even during isolation due to COVID-19, still require attention. The products offered are still required, foods are still essential, and delivery logistics must be adhered to. 

It is necessary to keep business running as much as possible. Despite the fact that each business has its own specific characteristics and demands, a business model of digitalization is fundamental. 

  Digital technology with a cloud service offering, expansion of Internet of Things (IoT), and recurring improvement of Big Data and Analytics applications create a unique opportunity for the business world to keep the flame burning. The hope for better days must always any leader’s focus, however crises must also be acknowledged and overcome. COVID-19 will teach us important lessons and it is time to start internalizing them to ensure a more productive, sustainable and efficient tomorrow. The main lesson here is that we do not need to wait for moments of crisis to implement the changes that are already necessary for our world today, including digitalization.