According to Google Trends, there were two spikes in searches for ‘digital transformation strategy’ last year. The first in late February, as talk of a national lockdown became louder, and the second in early August, as lockdown measures began to ease.
I’m no trendologist, but I’m certain that these searches will be a mix of businesses looking to smarten up, people taking a more general interest in the term, or people (like me) doing research.
There was no shortage of agencies, influencers, outlets and consultants talking about digital transformation last year, with the overarching message of ‘get with the times’. Not particularly helpful advice amidst ‘unprecedented times’; a global pandemic and national employment crisis. But it’s advice nonetheless.
The reality of digital transformation and technology adoption
Digital transformation isn’t a magic button you can press, and it isn’t an off-the-shelf solution either. As the search term suggests, it’s a strategy, and one that is generally a process of changes and improvements to a business who feel they need to transition from traditional or legacy, to digital.
There are many businesses who found success in 2020 and cracked that nut right from the start. From the seemingly small, like the family-owned food company who couldn’t find a way to deliver their meals, until they partnered with a local taxi company. To the obviously huge, like Virgin Experiences, who transitioned from hot air balloon rides and spa days to online classes and virtual events. And of course, the downright funny, like easyJet, who, with all of their fleet grounded, partnered with Deliveroo to bring their in-flight refreshment service to people’s front doors.
So as you can probably guess from above, digital transformation isn’t always a systems upgrade or a shiny new software rollout. It can come in the form of an unlikely partnership, a step change, or a pivot to a different product or service.
At AndAnotherDay, we feel that the traditional meaning of digital transformation is no longer accurate. In 2021, digital transformation can apply to any business, whether they have a slow, legacy back-end system or the latest cutting edge technology. Digital transformation this year is any business who needs to reposition their offering, pivot on their approach, or partner with another brand who can help them get to where they want to go, regardless of their tech stack.
Digital transformation is for everyone
It’s clear that the effects of COVID will be felt for some time, on a societal and business level. Companies cannot be expected to adapt to change over night, and the hustle mentality isn’t fair on those who simply don’t have access to the latest and greatest technology. Furthermore, the ripples of the pandemic are still being felt across many industries, and whilst some are starting to find new ways to work, and are beginning to bounce back, others are only now feeling an almost delayed shockwave, having struggled their way through 2020.
As we begin a new year with a refined focus on the fourth sector, this is where we want to help. Much like the evolution of digital transformation, we’ve grown to understand that we don’t need to be working on the next hottest thing or the coolest tech. We get our kicks from working with great clients, brilliant people and ethical endeavours – projects that make the world a better place.
Small businesses, we see you, and we understand how daunting it can be to think about moving your offering online. We know it’s hard to keep up with the digital Jones’. And digital transformation as a Google search term can often throw up more confusion than understanding.
As a technology partner to businesses large and small, we know there’s no one size fits all. That’s something that we’ve learned over the years, whilst simultaneously building up a suite of digital solutions, platforms and languages that we can tailor to best fit any business, whether it’s an ethical coffee bean brand, a startup inspiring today’s generation of over 50s to get the most from life, or a global sustainability project.
Let’s make a positive change to the world
With the steady rollout of vaccinations overshadowed by the emergence of a new virus, it’s hard to imagine an end in sight. It’s safe to say that remote work will continue long into 2021, and even beyond, with businesses making permanent changes to their workplaces. It’s also clear that many smaller businesses haven’t been able to embrace digital transformation at the flick of a switch, and that could be down to budgets, funding, or just a general lack of support and understanding around how they can explore a better use of technology.
But that’s what we do, and we do it for companies like us, who want to make a positive change in the world. If you’re feeling like your current offering isn’t up to scratch, or that 2021 is looking tougher than 2020 when it comes to your product, whether offline or digital, we’d really love to help.