FACT CHECKED
Change is the only constant in this world.
We’re well into the Information Age, so at this point anything that hasn’t been transformed digitally, whether fully or partially, is being considered obsolete.
Experts deem not only digital transformation but digital adoption to be central to success for enterprises in 2019 and beyond. It’s crucial to prioritize technology adoption in order for your enterprise to transform digitally.
Effective use of technology improves employee productivity and builds trust in customers. They get a better user experience (UX) and ultimately a better product.
Change managers, CEOs and CIOs seek a digital transformation platform as the answer to their prayers, ensuring their enterprise keeps pace with their competitors. But it’s actually a focus on adoption that is the key to unlocking the door to digital transformation.
Digital transformation vs. digital adoption
Digital transformation is, first, deciding to change the way your enterprise runs in order to bring it into the digital age, then implementing those changes successfully.
Different types of digital transformation platform will help to innovate your enterprise and bring it up to date. They can optimize operations and increase efficiency, which in turn increases profits.
Technology roll out is the first step. Through this, you provide your employees and customers with the latest and best tools for achieving their goals.
Rolling out new digital tools
To keep pace with the digital revolution, businesses must roll out new technology. Choosing the correct systems and platforms is critical, as they essentially act as that all-important digital transformation platform for your enterprise.
The right digital tools will enable you to analyze and get insights into your operations, business data, social media accounts and figures, security, services, CRM, and ERP. They can relieve employees of paperwork and other mundane chores to make them more productive with their time.
But remember that roll out is only the first step. Your shiny new apps and systems are pointless unless they’re actually being used as real business assets.
And this is where digital adoption comes into play.
Digital adoption is teaching, utilizing and optimizing all the features of your technology upgrade, whatever it may be. From a new CRM right the way through too process automation and customer-facing apps, no digital transformation can be complete without effective digital adoption.
Digital transformation – a journey, not the destination
Oftentimes, an enterprise will execute a digital change, then sit back and relax believing they’ll enjoy all the benefits soon. This is a huge mistake.
In this instance, the enterprise has provided employees with the most up to date and efficient business tools, but hasn’t taught them how to use them to their maximum capacity. This means digital adoption is still lacking.
Let’s suppose you conduct traditional in-house training sessions to teach your employees how to operate new digital tools and features.
Now consider the pace of innovation and change — it is quite possible that tomorrow you’ll need a new set of tools or a system update, which will require yet more training expenditure.
The bottom line is that traditional employee training methods are not fit for purpose in the digital workplace.
Since the aim of the game is to digitally transform your enterprise, why wouldn’t you use a digital tool to ensure successful adoption of new technology? This is where the Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) comes in.
The DAP as a digital transformation platform
The Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) is an online guide and virtual assistant that is always there to train, guide, and provide insights to its users.
The DAP allows employees to become adept at using software you implement, quickly, however complex. It will not only help your employee learn about the latest tool, but also teach them to use it to its maximum capability.
DAPs work by providing a live guide of sorts to your end users, enabling them to self-serve and reap all the benefits of your enterprises’ digital assets.
It’s sometimes called walkthrough software because the DAP literally “walks users through” how to use their digital tools, with pop-up suggestions, how-to’s, and navigational cues.
The DAP is, in essence, a digital transformation platform because it facilitates user adoption, without which an enterprise simply cannot transform.
Digital transformation should be looked at holistically, by shifting the focus back to the user. If your employees and/or customers aren’t fully adopting your digital tools, they can’t be considered business assets and you can’t hope to get return on your technology investment.
The DAP can assist and guide employees and customers through periods of digital transformation. By improving the user experience of digital tools, it aids rapid adoption, maximized productivity, and greater innovation.
