Taking the first steps on your digital journey can be daunting. The benefits are clear and enormous, but there are some possible downsides as well. Here, we take a closer look into three common mistakes SMBs make during this process and offer insights on how to avoid them.
- Short-term vision: not planning for future changes
Many businesses make the mistake of developing digitisation strategies that are too narrowly focused on their exact needs at this moment in time. While your existing processes are the right place to start when planning a digital strategy, too narrowly replicating your current status quo can make it hard to adapt to future growth or changes in the market – potentially requiring constant updates or future rebuilds.
The solution: embrace flexibility and scalability
To avoid this pitfall, businesses should adopt a forward-thinking mindset. This means choosing flexible and scalable digital solutions that can adapt to evolving business models, customer needs and technological advancements. By doing so, businesses can ensure that their digital infrastructure grows in tandem with their business, thus future-proofing their investments.
2. Basing solutions on software, not business operations
A common misstep is selecting digital tools based solely on their features or popularity, without considering how they align with the unique workflows and processes of the business. This then potentially forces you to adapt your business to suit the software, or in most cases, it means that your team don’t actually use the solution as intended and create their own workarounds.
The solution: business-centric technology selection
The key is to start with a deep understanding of your business operations and then find technology that complements and enhances these processes. By prioritising the business’s needs over the allure of sophisticated software features, businesses can ensure a more seamless integration of technology that truly enhances productivity and efficiency.
3. Ignoring the reality on the ground
Digitising and automating without a thorough understanding of existing internal processes and how staff work can lead to disruptions and inefficiencies. This oversight often results in the implementation of systems that are incompatible with the actual workflow of the business. This can mean your vision diverges from your team, and the solution may not be used as intended.
The solution: comprehensive process mapping
Before diving into digitisation, it’s crucial to map out all internal processes meticulously. This involves understanding each step of your business operations, how your team works, and identifying any bottlenecks or inefficiencies. With this clear picture, you can tailor your digitisation strategy to streamline these processes, enhance productivity, and ensure a smoother transition for your staff.
Other things to watch out for
While the above are the three most common mistakes we’ve seen, some other pitfalls to watch out for include:
Insufficient planning: Jumping into digitisation without a clear strategy or understanding of business needs can lead to misaligned objectives and wasted resources.
Overlooking employee training: Failing to properly train staff on new digital tools can hinder their adoption and effectiveness.
Ignoring data security and privacy: Not prioritising data security in the digital transformation process can expose the business to cyber threats and data breaches.
Lack of integration: Implementing digital tools that do not integrate well with existing systems can create silos and reduce efficiency.
Neglecting customer experience: Focusing solely on internal processes and not considering how digitisation impacts the customer experience can be detrimental.
Over-automation: Automating too many processes too quickly can lead to a loss of personal touch in customer service and employee dissatisfaction.
Poor data management: Inadequate management of the data gathered from digitised processes can lead to disorganisation and inefficiency.
We’ll dig deeper into all of these in some future blog posts.
Navigating the Path to Successful Digitisation
The journey towards digitising and automating your small to medium business is a complex but rewarding endeavour. Remember, the goal of digitisation is to complement and enhance your business operations, not to overhaul them completely. With thoughtful planning and a strategic approach, your business can harness the power of digital technology to reach new heights of efficiency and success.