Eight reasons digital transformation matters
Organisations and companies need digital transformation for eight main reasons. One: more efficiency and output, because work flows better, mistakes are fewer, and time, effort and money are saved. Two: better services and products for customers. Three: more sales and income, because a business can reach new places and new customers. Four: innovation, because new tools bring new ideas and new products. Five: staying competitive by keeping up with the latest technology. Six: better decisions, because the right data and facts arrive at the right time. Seven: less use of energy and other resources, for example less paper. Eight: new jobs, because new kinds of work appear. The table gives a school or shop example for each reason. Do not try to learn the list by heart. Ask yourself in each case: what gets better, and for whom?
| Reason | Example (invented) |
|---|---|
| 1 Efficiency | attendance is counted automatically, with fewer mistakes |
| 2 Better service | pupils see their results as soon as they are ready |
| 3 New customers | a basket shop shows its goods to buyers in other cities |
| 4 Innovation | teachers try a new kind of quiz |
| 5 Competitiveness | a bakery that takes orders by message keeps up with others nearby |
| 6 Better decisions | the canteen sees what sells and orders the right amount |
| 7 Fewer resources | reports are sent online, so less paper is used |
| 8 New jobs | someone is needed to look after the school’s online system |
Make eight paper strips. Write one reason on each: efficiency, services, customers, ideas, competition, decisions, resources, jobs. Choose a place you know, such as a shop or a clinic. Pick three strips and write one sentence each about how going digital could help that place. Ask a family member whether they agree.