7 areas where digital transformation has the biggest impact

There’s no denying that advancements in technology over the last few decades have completely changed the way we live and work. As a result, the expectations of customers and employees have shifted, and businesses that embraced digital transformation early have put themselves at a competitive advantage. Meanwhile, slow adopters and organisations that still use outdated, inefficient systems and processes are finding it harder to retain good employees and serve their customers and stakeholders effectively. Digital transformation (or lack of it) affects almost every aspect of an organisation, and in this article, we’re looking at seven key areas where it can have the biggest impact.

Customer experience

Digital transformation can significantly improve customer experience, reduce complaints, and relieve pressure on customer service teams. And there are so many opportunities to improve customer experience through digital transformation. Forms can be digitalised, and files uploaded from mobile devices. Case progress can be easily tracked, emails automated, and updates quickly issued. Orders and payments can be made online, and invoices automatically generated and issued.

Online portals allow customers to self-serve from anywhere, on any device, at any time. This makes accessing services more convenient for everyone and is particularly beneficial to citizens with limited access to transportation or those who cannot call or visit during normal working hours.

Data handling, security and compliance

Paper forms can easily get lost, damaged or filed incorrectly, and manual data entry is time-consuming and subject to human error. This can lead to wasted time, inaccurate information, delays in process, missing information and unnecessary duplication of tasks.

With digital data collection and storage, you eliminate these problems. Data can be collected much faster and exported to the relevant databases. No lost files or wrongly entered data and no paper forms left lying around. Data security is improved, and compliance with GDPR is more manageable.

Employee engagement

Many small things can cause frustration at work – duplication of tasks, delays in getting management sign-off, inconsistent processes, incomplete data, clunky processes. All these things make life harder for employees to carry out their roles effectively, leading to stress, disengagement and lack of motivation. This has a negative impact on the business, with increased absenteeism and high staff attrition rates. Creating a digital platform where workflows are automated, processes are streamlined, and information is easily accessible will improve employee experience. Fewer frustrations, fewer gripes and a happier workforce.

Business continuity

One of the biggest advantages of cloud technology is the ability to share and access files and systems remotely. This has made working on the go or working from home much easier. However, remote working isn’t the only benefit of cloud computing. Secure backups of systems and files can be automated. This makes archiving information much easier and cheaper (save on physical storage space for paper files and/or internal digital file space).

It also makes document retrieval simple, which should be a key consideration in any business continuity and disaster recovery strategy.

Efficiency

Don’t underestimate the cost benefits of streamlining workflows and improving efficiency. If you freed up just 10% of every single employee’s time, how much would that be worth?

Even the simple act of replacing paper forms with digital forms can make a huge difference. No more time spent printing out or mailing forms – they can be sent instantly. No more waiting for paper forms to be returned, often getting lost or delayed. No more searching for misplaced documents, and no more manual data entry.

Imagine how much time that would free up over a year?

But digitalising forms is only a tiny part of what can be achieved. Technology creates so many opportunities for increased efficiency.

Customers can self-serve rather than having to speak to a physical employee. Data automatically feeds through to all relevant databases rather than being manually uploaded to each. Managers can view data in real-time rather than chasing reports.

The possibilities for increased efficiency are endless and even making small changes will positively impact productivity, response times, and expenditure.

Cost reduction

Better customer experience leads to improved reputation and customer retention. Improved employee engagement leads to reduced absenteeism and attrition. Increased efficiency leads to extra capacity without the need to increase the size of the workforce. All of these benefits inevitably lead to lower costs.

While any digital transformation project will involve an initial outlay, the return on the investment can usually be seen relatively quickly.

Decision making

Digitalisation makes reporting much faster and more accurate. Managers can get a real-time, 360-degree view of the business whenever they need it.

This information can be used to influence day-to-day and long-term business decisions on almost anything, from budget allocation and workforce planning to marketing strategy. These insights can be invaluable in identifying opportunities and threats and addressing possible peaks in demand proactively.

How Meritec can help with digital transformation

Since 1996, we’ve worked with over 500 public and private sector clients across the UK, providing agile solutions that can be easily scaled. Our approach to every digital transformation project is collaborative – a partnership with you to ensure the solution we provide is the right fit. Our low code platforms, software solutions and CXM 360 have been developed by our own in-house team, meaning all standard features can be customised and adapted to suit.

Because we specialise in working with public sector organisations, we have a comprehensive understanding of the unique requirements and challenges. This has allowed us to develop a range of relevant software solutions, each designed to address a specific problem. We’ll work with your team to build a cost-effective but bespoke system that enables you to improve all the seven areas discussed above. All our solutions are designed to be intuitive and agile, requiring minimal technological knowledge from your teams. Plus, we’re on hand to provide support and develop your digital infrastructure as the needs of your organisation change.

If you’d like to see for yourself why so many local authorities are already choosing to work with Meritec, get in touch. Our friendly team will be happy to demonstrate exactly how our solutions can enhance and future-proof your organisation.