The digital tools you choose should support your business goals. Common business goals include:
- increase your revenue
- increase your profit
- make better use of your assets
- improve the skills of your staff
For example, you can:
- increase your sales through an e-commerce platform
- track and reduce your expenses through a financial management system
- automate administration tasks through a project management system
- train your staff through an e-learning platform
Decide what you can improve
Deciding what to improve in your business can help you identify your unique needs.
Think about the work your team does every day. What could change to make it easier for your staff to do their jobs and your customers to buy from you?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are there new processes I want to implement if I had the time?
- Do I want to offer a new service to my customers that I cannot offer with my current set-up?
- Are there tasks that take a long time to complete?
- Do any of my systems communicate with each other?
- Do my staff have the tools they need to work remotely?
Once you have identified improvements, you can prioritise them.
Estimate the time you have
The digital tools you choose need to suit your budget and schedule.
Estimate how much money and time you can spend on your digital transformation.
To help you, compare the value of digital tools and create a road map.
Compare the value of digital tools
Work out how much money different digital tools will:
- cost you to implement
- save you in the long term
You do not have to buy something expensive. There are low-cost tools that can improve your processes and save you time. Make sure you explore your options.
Create a road map
Do not plan to do too much at once. Digital transformation often creates a lot of change in a business. It is important to manage this change in stages for the best chance of success.
Create a road map with your business goals and priorities in mind.
For example, you might plan to do the following:
- Focus on ‘quick wins’ first. These are initiatives that deliver high value for your business and are relatively fast and easy to implement.
- Prioritise your higher value initiatives over your lower value initiatives. This way you can achieve your business goals sooner.
- Start with small changes. This may help you succeed with higher value initiatives down the track.
Be generous with how much time you give to each stage in your road map. Factor in all aspects of the work, including:
- defining your requirements
- setting your goals
- coordinating the vendors
- training your staff
You can talk to digital suppliers to help your refine your road map. Suppliers can give you practical advice about how to break your transformation into stages.
