Top Digital Transformation Trends in 2022
Digital transformation has been at the forefront of most companies’ minds since the start of the pandemic. The growth has been exponential and keeping up is a full-time job in itself. The pandemic dramatically changed the way most companies operated. According to research, sped up most companies’ digital transformation agendas by 3 to 7 years in a few months.
Keeping ahead of your competition is normally enough of a challenge. But the pandemic showed us that in order to remain competitive, businesses needed to accelerate the adoption of innovative and emerging technologies.
Predicting which trends are here to stay is not always easy but there are a few which seem destined to shape the way we view the future. From cloud-based platforms to artificial intelligence and hybrid work models, let’s delve into the ones you need to take note of.
Cloud technology
Cloud technology is one of the key trends that every small business should embrace. Companies have been able to move their focus from data centres located on-site to cloud services. Data storage is a nightmare for most small businesses. That is why cloud technology has made it far easier to store large amounts of data securely.
It has transformed the way businesses operate and has provided that much-needed flexibility enabling companies to access data no matter where they are. This has in turn led to employees being able to collaborate and work far more efficiently.
Hybrid work models
Hybrid work models are now the norm in most companies. Remote working can lead to practical challenges especially when it comes to teams who work closely together. Companies are having to rely on collaboration tools that allow their employees to work together in an agile way.
Collaboration tools allow teams to give input on hundreds of ideas while maintaining a clear picture from a progress perspective. Productivity tools are on the rise, helping teams stay on track with their various built-in task management and tracking capabilities.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence was once something we only saw in movies. It is now becoming more popular especially when it comes to sales and marketing tools. Creating personalised content experiences has seen Marketing Departments adopting these types of tools more frequently.
This type of automation has improved productivity through increased efficiency and is more often than not used around creating workflows and data analysis.
Contactless solutions
The way we engage with our customers has probably been one of the biggest changes brought about by the pandemic. A few years back, ordering drinks or scanning a menu through a QR code wasn’t offered everywhere, now it’s pretty much standard practice.
Customers want seamless solutions; they want to do everything in one place from ordering products, completing forms, and signing documents to making payments. This can be problematic for companies not set up to deal with these new demands. Fortunately, there are plenty of solutions available from e-forms and e-signature solutions to digital payments. Much like the digital signing products offered by Wacom.
Cybersecurity
The number of companies falling prey to cyberattacks has been on the rise – just look to the recent spate of companies advising that there have been breaches to the client’s information. Digital capabilities protecting information from cyberattacks and breaches have become an essential part of digital transformation and is another avenue that companies are paying more attention to.
Digital transformation can be daunting for any small business but it’s one area of your business where results can be felt almost immediately. The key is to identify which area of your business will benefit the most and to take it slowly, one area at a time. For example, Usecure is a great a way that small businesses can minimise or mitigate data breaches.