What is the digital transformation of the company?
The digital transformation is at the heart of the business agenda more than ever with the new situations we are experiencing (yellow vests, Covid ...). While retail sites and the tourism sector remain precursors of the digitalization of commerce , all activities are - or will sooner or later be affected - here as elsewhere.
Digital transformation, kesako?
We have been talk about it for several year now. Sometimes
called digital transformation (or digitization ), the digital transformation of
the company is in reality the digitization of its activity.
Please note we are talking about the entire activity of the
company . And therefore not only the digitalization of marketing and
communication or commerce. Having a Facebook page doesn't make you a digital
entity .
Because it is indeed a global process, a real breakthrough,
which integrates all the technological innovations ( CRM , efficient
information system, marketing automation ...) but also commercial that the
company needs to maximize and develop. or transform its value chain and
business model .
This also supposes a change of mentality of the
collaborators (and of CODIR) and an acceptance of the rupture with the model of
the past .
The press and the media, advertising or tourism, sectors
that I know well, or even photography or training can attest to this.
It concerns all companies with sectors more impacted in the
short term than others. And although some leaders are still postponing their
transformation (the perennial "we are different, I know my industry and my
clients are not digital",) it is obvious that recent events will further
accelerate the process. And we are not talking about the simple implementation
of teleworking.
Why finally take an interest in digital transformation ?
For any project, before knowing how to set it up, it is
essential to understand the "why":
Your customers are now digital
8 out of 10 buyers inquire online before buying according to
IFOP. Even in B2B. There are multiple purchasing journeys, omnichannel and the
customer has all the available offer just a click away. The last few year have
been marked by a profound change in
their uses , by the adoption of new technologies and new media (smartphones,
tablets), and by an increase in the offers available and the practices inherent
in these changes . L was first due to
launch in the complete digital
transformation of your business, is simply that
your customers have changed and are themselves digitized .
Your business model is running out of steam
Toys R'us, Thomas Cook, Kodak, Blackberry but also Paruvendu
have paid the price and not to reassure you, this does not happen only to
others. All sectors must reinvent themselves and not only tour operators or
sellers. of spare parts.
The digital transformation is redesigning your business
model and reshuffling the cards, because
with the advent of heavyweights in e-commerce (Amazon, Aliexpress, Wish ...) or
online tourism (Booking, Airbnb ...) some companies are going get into trouble.
Your competitors are no longer just local
In the age of short circuits and new responsible consumption
patterns, especially for the food sector, it should also be noted that each
company had an average of 6 competitors in 2014 , and that it has 22 in
2018 (Source Hubspot).
Look at your smartphone and see the apps (and sites) you use
to convince yourself.
You want to attract customers on the internet
How do I find customers online ? After all if they are
online, there is no reason not to attract them to you rather than the
competitor, right?
To capture them, you not only need an effective website , marketing automation and CRM tools, but above all a real digital strategy.
And no more excuses: e-commerce always represents more
opportunities than risks and offers magnificent growth prospects . And do not
think that only companies "adapted to e-commerce" are concerned. Even
a specialist lawyer, an SME which sells financing, kitchens, agricultural
machinery, construction equipment or which builds swimming pools can attract
clients via the internet .
It can bring you growth
Digitization is a relay / lever for the growth of your
activity .
Among other things, it will bring you:
• A marked
decrease in your investments in traditional advertising in favor of the
acquisition of prospects and customers cheaper (61% according to Hubspot) and
more profitable.
• Increase
your turnover
• A
decrease in the length of your sales cycles
• An
unprecedented reduction in your customer acquisition cost (CAC)
• Expanding
your catchment area to sell new products to new targets and new markets. For
example, we sell in Spain and Belgium without setting foot there.
• A marked
improvement in your notoriety and unparalleled visibility in Google
• Better
customer knowledge to provide an unforgettable customer experience.
You want to promote your business
To discuss with a dozen entrepreneurs every week, I know
that "handing over" is a sensitive subject.
When it comes to valuing your activity , many key elements
will come into play and the level of digitization will be rightly audited.
An organization that has already started its digital
transformation and is innovative is
much more attractive in the market than one that has not yet started its
transformation or that has a business model that is running out of steam.
You want to improve the customer relationship
The customer
relationship is a major issue. Today the customer experience takes into account
all the points of contact a customer has with the brand or the company. This is
the overall experience of a person using
a product or service.
The cracks of world trade have understood this well because
they use it as a growth engine.
You finally want to change your tools and methods
If consumers have gone digital, your employees (including
and above all CODIR and COMEX), your services and offers must also be.
Beginning your digital transformation is a magnificent
opportunity to fundamentally change the
“à Papa” methods.
Be careful, it is not a question of jumping on the latest
tools in vogue without prior reflection, without clear objectives and a shared
strategic vision . A tool without method remains doomed to failure . Likewise,
the best method without an ad hoc tool will have very limited efficiency.
Keep in mind that a
SOMOCLO approach (for "social,
mobile, cloud") is the new triptych of tools to be implemented in your
company. Yes, it will be necessary to invest in tools and methods, so in your
teams in order to offer them a project that makes sense and unite them around
it.
To find out more, read our article on the 9 good reasons to
embark on the digital transformation of your business !
The 4 pillars of digital transformation
According to Lkcouncil, there are 3 weak pillars: the
company, the public authorities, the professional organizations, for a strong
pillar: the consumer.
• Pillar n
° 1: The consumer, a strong pillar
Consumers have evolved faster than businesses and so have
their expectations. Over-equipped, ultra-connected, better informed, and
increasingly volatile, it is the fundamental pillar of change. Yet companies
forgot about it along the way. The stake is the customer.
• Pillar n
° 2: Companies, a weak pillar
Due to a limited understanding of the challenges ahead, the
strategic issues, and the resulting paradigm shift, companies find it difficult
to "acculturate" to this new situation. Yet the benefits are certain
according to a study by Capgemini
Consulting and MIT which shows that companies that have seized the
opportunities offered by digital transformation have a 26% higher profitability
and 9% additional revenue per employee.
• Pillar n
° 3: Public authorities, a weak pillar
The public authorities have not been able to grasp that this
technological breakthrough was in reality a global challenge for the
metamorphosis of society, or even a revolution.
• Pillar n
° 4: Professional organizations, a weak pillar
They have not been able to disseminate the challenges of change
to as many people as possible and to evangelize the message to the bosses.
To be or not be, that is the question!
Five years ago, it was believed that "businesses were
digital or they weren't." And we thought "already", that those
which would not transform, would not survive because:
• Nature
hates a vacuum: if you don't do anything, don't worry, someone else will do it
for you.
• This
affects everyone: this great upheaval and to a lesser extent “uberization”
(from the name of the company Uber which connects drivers of light vehicles and
users) does not only affect tour operators, hotels or taxis. No business can
escape a future where consumers are connected.