Achieving Digital Transformation the SMART Way
According to IDC, worldwide spending on digital transformation initiatives will reach nearly $2 trillion by 2022. So, what’s keeping your organization from jumping onboard? Let’s face it, digital transformation for any organization large or small is a huge commitment, not to mention a big financial investment. There are reasons why some are hesitant to pull the trigger, but that doesn’t hide the fact that digital is here to stay. Transforming to a digital-first organization and in turn, selecting a modern customer communications management (CCM) platform are both critical decisions for any company that wishes to maintain its competitive edge.
While revamping your customer communications strategy and incorporating new technologies does invite certain complexities, the tradeoff of improved communications across a wide range of channels will be well worth it. But, before you reach out to your boss with an exciting new idea on how to push your organization along the digital route, take some time to think things through and develop a comprehensive plan of action.
Why Upgrade to a Modern, Cloud-Based CCM Solution?
It’s important to clarify why now is the time to modernize your customer communications strategy and emphasize the need for change. Shockingly, many people still have the mindset, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?” According to Forbes, a recent study found 83 percent of enterprise workloads will be running on cloud servers instead of on-premises platforms by 2020. The cloud has come of age! Companies that don’t embrace the cloud, and the internal and customer-facing benefits it affords, risk falling behind their competition.
How to Gain Buy-in Across Your Organization
Key to the success of a digital transformation project is employee engagement. Barriers to this often include people feeling that either the new program doesn’t relieve their pain points, or it was imposed on them with little or no input. It’s important to be aware of these sentiments within your organization to identify how going digital can help address their needs. In our latest whitepaper, Setting the Stage for Change in the Digital Age: How to Gain Organizational Buy-In, we reveal five key steps to follow that will help the process run smoothly.
Crafting a Plan for Digital Transformation
Once you’ve done your homework and connected with key stakeholders across your organization, it’s time to develop a proposal for your executive team. You’ll want to start by articulating how a cloud-based CCM will help your organization improve your communications. Then, you’ll need to address how you’ll update your operational model to match a new, digital-focused communications strategy. Using the data gathered during the fact-finding process, you can create a digital content roadmap highlighting where digital communications can be incorporated. Finally, you’ll want to showcase areas of opportunity for quick wins and demonstrate ROI early. Seems straightforward, right?
While it might not be a one-day project, it will be well worth the process!