"We become what we behold. We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us."
- Marshall McLuhan
How essential are digital tools in the workplace? Let alone having the right software that can propel your company's success to digital transformation? There are plenty of tools out there, and it's easy for organization leaders to get caught up in the latest tools available and not knowing any alternatives that vendors usually have but having the same quality and at an affordable rate. The tools or software that companies use help the vision and mission of the business continue to pulse like a reverberating heartbeat throughout the whole company.
Employees nowadays are knowledgeable and are expected to be digitally knowledgeable on the latest software, from editorial calendars to apps for communication or collaboration. Money can be an issue for organizations shifting to digital transformation since it might seem costly initially, but for the long term, having the suitable software and being digitally equipped in the process is an investment, especially with the current state of the economy due to the COVID-19. It's crucial for companies to utilize tools or software that can redirect their business to the right track or scale them to new heights.
It's not enough for a company to have the right tools and ensure that their employees and even the business leader themselves know the tools firsthand. Digital transformation is all about bringing along your employees and empowering them to use those tools. For example, there are plenty of best practices and tricks on how a team can use Lark and how they can level up their collaboration and communication in an instant. Airtable, on the other hand, has a different set of views that teams can use to work efficiently on their workload at a glance. These software that are often digital can be daunting to play around with initially, but later on, teams will find it gratifying to become more productive and digitally empowered.
According to a recent poll done by the Pew Research Center, 77 percent of employees are social media knowledgeable and utilize it for work.
This statistic shows that employees are social media savvy and are aware of the importance social or digital media can do in their daily lives. For their professional careers, employees should take note of this and utilize it.
According to Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative's research, people aged 38 to 54 are the most technologically engaged generation, with over 80% of the market adopting digital and mobile interactions.
We're currently living in a tech-savvy world, which is why it is only good for companies shifting to digital transformation to have tech-savvy team members or are willing to learn the tools of the trade. Some software is hard to understand, especially for beginners, such as coding software or a project management tool which is why training them is vital for the team's success.
"Give ordinary people the right tools, and they will design and build the most extraordinary things."
- Neil Gershenfeld
Having the right tools or software for your company is a good sign; you're taking the road to digital transformation seriously, and entrusting the tools management to your employee is a sign of trust which increases their brand loyalty.
According to a study, employees who use digital workplace technologies are 60 percent more likely to feel motivated at work and 91 percent more likely to support their company's objectives.
Suppose you provide your team software that will help increase their productivity, digitally empower them, and help them grow individually and not just professionally. In that case, you'll be astounded by the magic they can bring to the table, which is beneficial for your business in the long run.
According to IDC, 70% of businesses will have used hybrid/multi-cloud management as part of their digital transformation by 2022, and more than half of new equipment will be deployed at the edge by 2023.
It's no doubt that everything is up in the clouds nowadays. Digital transformation is not just about saving up space on laptops or PCs and helping store data in a tangible yet safe manner. Organizations invest in cloud management software such as project management tools or communication tools that can help the teamwork remotely in any part of the world. There are no signs of stopping since tech giants like Google and Dropbox are opting in for a remote workplace, and preceding their offices, your company will need tools that can run the operations smoothly even on a work from home setup.
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How to know your company is utilizing the right software?
1. It suits your company's goals
One of the critical aspects you have to consider when buying or using new software for your company's digital maturity is knowing if it fits your company's goal either for the present or long-term and thinking of it as an asset. If your marketing team requires revamping the company website, how about purchasing coding software to boost that initiative, or perhaps your sales team has low sales consecutively? Perhaps having customer relationship management software can improve their workflow and close deals efficiently.
2. The software costs fit your budget
Yes, it's crucial to get the best software or digital tools out there to boost your company's digital maturity, but it all boils down to the allocated budget and if there is a software that has alternatives yet can do the same thing. Software can be expensive, but it's an investment and a must for digitally mature companies to run efficiently and thrive in the competitive world of business.
3. Team members can use it efficiently
One sign to know if the software your company just purchased is the right one for your company is if your employees can quickly adapt and use it in the workplace efficiently and productively. Once you see that your team is performing better, then ROI will start pouring in.
There are many things to consider when buying software for your company's digital transformation, but having the right tool that your team can use in the long run and productively is much essential than having the most expensive and the latest one. Softwares have their pros and cons, and as a business leader, you have to know what will benefit the company in the long run.