Digital transformation post COVID-19 starts with software development

In today’s market, you will hear the word ‘digital’ more times than you can count. There’s digital technologies, digital data, digital media, digital marketing and digital transformation. All businesses want to embrace digital. But why is it so important to have a digital transformation strategy in place?

As businesses look ahead to the future, digital transformation will need to be embraced to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in the current market. Not only does it improve customer engagement and increase efficiency, but it also enhances business decision making and encourages innovation. What’s more, research has highlighted that 27% of companies believe that digital transformation has become a matter of survival. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this, with many businesses kick starting these strategies and adapting its offering to meet changing customer demands.

Accepting change

The Coronavirus has accelerated digital transformation across almost every industry, and as we shift into recovery, more changes are going to have to be put in place by businesses. One of the first steps of digital transformation is the need for businesses to accept change. Although change can seem daunting for many businesses, it is in fact a positive step and can encourage businesses to meet the ever changing needs of today's customers. As consumers' needs adapt and grow, there will be a demand for new types of products or services, which opens up opportunities for companies to meet those needs. Ultimately, businesses that do not accept change are likely to fall behind and risk losing its competitive advantage.

With COVID-19 changing the way that businesses operate, there is now a need to become more agile and adaptable. Approaches to communicating and collaborating with both customers and colleagues has changed, with a greater need to increase the speed of decision making, whilst also maintaining productivity. In the long-term, organisations will benefit from embracing change that results in new ways of addressing customer needs, advances in customer services or launching new products that might attract new markets.

Leveraging technology

Software development is another key requirement for businesses that are pursuing digital transformation quests. Leveraging technology and ensuring it is able to offer reliable and high quality results is a key focus for the majority of companies. At this stage, it is important for businesses to acknowledge what its strategic goals are and implement software that is going to help it reach those ambitions and achieve tangible results. Businesses should also ensure the technology it selects is equipped with sustainable software that is going to withstand time, inevitable digital advances and deliver the requirements of the new normal.

In addition, today’s current climate has emphasised the importance of providing teams with reliable software that enables them to work remotely and complete projects without any constraints. In the midst of the pandemic, 60% of the UK's adult population were working remotely. Unfortunately, many businesses did not have the technology in place to cope with this immediate change. Therefore, IT decision makers and leaders had to undergo a rapid shift to remain agile and maintain continuity during this unprecedented time.

By keeping software up to date and regularly enhancing tools, employees can remain productive and maintain a high level of communication with colleagues. It is equally important to remain in close contact with customers and demonstrate that they are a priority to business - organisations that do this well fare much better and those that do not, as they will risk losing customers or falling behind competition. Contacting customers regularly and representing the company's values with its key messages will be crucial, and can also help improve business success in the long run.

Looking to the future

The traditional way of working is continuously changing and the nine-to-five working day in the office is no more. As a result, digital transformation is no longer optional and is now a necessity for today’s organisations. Businesses must shift towards implementing sophisticated software applications that allow the team to meet the changing needs of its customers and the industry. With the future looking somewhat uncertain, it is important that companies embrace digital transformation strategies and consider software applications, in order to stay on an upward trajectory. The digital economy will be essential in the recovery of businesses post-COVID-19 and offers the chance to seize new opportunities which will be pivotal to shaping the future of businesses.