How to succeed in your digital transformation

In a context where competition is fiercer than ever, companies must demonstrate agility to remain competitive. Digital transformation is therefore crucial for businesses that want to stay relevant and successful.

Digital transformation is an ongoing process that involves many aspects of your business, including technology, your processes, people, your strategy and even your company culture. There are a multitude of ways to answer the question “how to succeed in your digital transformation”. In a complex business world, the best way to succeed in your digital transformation is a tailor-made solution that has been designed for you.

In short, the pillars of a successful digital transformation are expertise, choosing the right technologies and having a long-term vision. A good digital transformation strategy must include various specific professions (Product Owner/Manager, Strategist, UX/UI Designer, etc.) and they must focus their efforts on the user experience.

Why do a digital transformation?

Digital technology has made electronic business available and democratized in the broad sense. Your customers have evolved with the big players in this field (e.g.: Amazon). They now expect to receive similar or better service than larger companies. The implementation of digital services has become central to companies’ business models and their sustainability.The Quebec government is aware of this and wishes to help entrepreneurs by making a tax holiday eligible for any digital transformation project until December 31, 2024.

In the industrial world, Industry 4.0 has led Quebecers to reposition themselves and question their digital maturity. There are those who have not yet made the digital shift and those who have done so and are preparing to make updates. Industry 4.0 manufacturers who have implemented real-time monitoring of their assembly line are now significantly more advanced than their competitors since they know where to optimize their production, where to cut, what are the value-added tasks and how to operationalize everything. Industry 4.0 pioneers are even thinking of integrating artificial intelligence into their production chain. They know that in the long term the investment is worth the cost since the digital shift they made in the past is already profitable for them. Especially in times when human resources are scarce. Thanks to their digital transformation (moving to Industry 4.0), they now have the data and know-how to stay at the top of their game.

Failing to sound alarmist, you should absolutely carry out a digital transformation, if you have not already done so, in order to survive as a company, to remain competitive and to offer a user experience in line with the market and the expectations of your customers.

If you have more questions about digital transformation, we’ve got you covered with this french article.

What are the pillars of digital transformation?

Make way for expertise

The digital world in which you operate is often more complex than it suggests. It is often believed that in web development adding a feature is as simple “as adding a button”. Think again. A feature as simple as the Facebook Like button can take a long time to see the light of day. Indeed, it only appeared in 2009. That is 5 years after the creation of Facebook! This famous button has been at the center of much discord at Meta and Mr. Zuckerberg himself was reluctant to address such a “big change”. It took 3 years of strategic thinking to shape this feature, which originally should have been a star system. If it took 3 years of thought and process for one of the most innovative companies of the 21st century to introduce the like button, can you imagine the complexity of carrying out a digital transformation? Especially if it must meet the delicate needs of several departments with different objectives.

Being able to count on the expertise of professionals is essential to succeed in your digital transformation. This is why it is preferable to be accompanied by qualified and experienced people. The digital world of your company is much larger than you think. CRM, custom software, e-commerce, Web platform, databases, hosting, newsletter and so on. To succeed in your digital transformation, it’s simple: you need to be supported by experts.

Don’t let digital technologies dictate your transformation

The technology chosen must be a means to an end. It should not be an end in itself. You don’t have to fall in love with a technology and a representative of this solution. Rather, we must keep a cool head and remember that techno must act as a servant.

Almost every week, new technologies are released. This is easy to believe when you know that in Quebec, around 22 new businesses are born every day. Each of them needs digital technology appropriate to their needs. Take retail for example. This type of business often, if not always, needs a web presence and e-commerce. Two digital solutions (website & e-commerce) that are essential for retail businesses. This choice seems quite obvious, but which technology is best for these specific needs?

To correctly operationalize the implementation of the technology that will be behind your digital product, it is important to take into account several criteria. First of all, it is preferable to choose an open source technology, that is to say one which offers freedom of use and modification without legal constraints. Additionally, the cost of technology must also be put into the equation. It is better to favor inexpensive technologies to avoid unnecessary expenses. A large, active community around the technology is also an important element to consider, as it can help solve problems encountered during development and offer many useful resources and tools. A technology with a good community will also offer financial gains since the problems encountered will often be captured. Finally, the technology must be scalable to allow regular updates and adaptation to market developments.

Long term vision

You have surrounded yourself with competent people for your transformation, you have targeted the right technologies, but have you thought about tomorrow? And two days later? What about in 10 years? Will your choice affect your web hosting?

While it’s almost impossible to know what the digital scene will look like in 10 years, it’s important to take a look at where you want to be in 10 years. Your aspirations for tomorrow have a direct influence on your digital transformation today. So don’t silence your dreams, instead, make them speak. By planning the basics, you will be able to successfully complete your transformation and ensure it meets the needs of tomorrow.

Digital transformation strategy

Step One: Put the Right People at the Table

But how can businesses ensure their digital transformation is successful? Fortunately, several studies have been conducted to help businesses understand the steps to take for successful digital transformation.

A study conducted by Deloitte showed that companies that establish clear business objectives and communicate them effectively to all staff are more likely to succeed in their digital transformation. It is therefore important to clearly establish the company’s objectives before starting the transformation and to ensure that all staff are informed of these objectives.

Remember, the right people to include at the table are also the leaders of your company. The key decision-makers, the heads of the different departments will be stakeholders in your digital transformation. They are the ones who will speak with experts in digital technologies and processes. By bringing the right people together, we are able to discuss goals, challenges and how digital transformation can help you achieve your goals. It can also help create a sense of alignment and commitment to the digital transformation strategy.

Successful digital transformation projects have successfully integrated digital solutions into the business models of Canadian companies. At the heart of a complete digital transition are a lot of project management and a digital strategy adapted to your reality. Using the right resources on this complex project is essential to its success.

Additionally, it is important to ensure that this team is diverse and includes members with different perspectives and skills. This will help ensure that all aspects of digital transformation are considered and that decisions made are balanced and well-informed.

User experience at the center of the success of your transformation

User experience (UX) is a central concept in the field of digital transformation. It’s about how users perceive and interact with your digital products.

A good UX helps improve the efficiency, satisfaction and loyalty of your users, whether they are customers, suppliers or employees. It also contributes to the success of your business by increasing your conversions, reducing abandonment rates and generating more recommendations linked to a satisfactory customer experience.

To create a quality user experience, it is important to take into account user needs, expectations and behaviors. At Libéo, we implement best practices in terms of user experience: strategic monitoring, qualitative research, user testing, constant measurement of experience over time and many others.

Bill 25 — Bill 64

We would like to end by drawing your attention to the laws in force in Quebec. In September 2022, the Quebec government implemented a law aimed at protecting the personal information of Quebecers. This information includes, in particular, the email address. It is therefore mandatory to have a policy in place if you collect this information.

If you have any questions about Bill 25, do not hesitate to contact us or subscribe to our newsletter.