Digital transformation can enhance customer experience not just by directly impacting the customer journey, but by enhancing the operational capabilities of the organisation to better service their customers. This is not a new phenomenon, there is not a business on this planet who has not switched from the typewriter to the computer.
These changes are now growing at an exponential rate, too fast for an organisation to adopt each one and to many for any organisation to fully comprehend which ones would maximise value to their operations. A digital transformation team can help an organisation navigate these difficult waters, understand their unique value proposition and leverage new technologies to support and enhance their operational capabilities.
Operational transformation occurs in three elements of digital capability:
Core process automation: This is commonly the starting point for most companies in their digital transformation journey. Historically we can think of factories during the industrialisation period as technology evolved we leveraged robotic arms to perform more and more of the dangerous and carcinogenic work rather than forcing humans to sacrifice their health.
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In the digital age we now leverage technological advances to not only reduce the physical burden on humans, we can now leverage, machine learning and basic AI automation to reduce the cognitive burden on humans as well, freeing employees from the mundane repetitive tasks of low level information work and free their time to focus on value added creative problem solving.
Connected and dynamic operations: Revolves around three main technologies: real-time data collected through IOT devices, retained though the cloud and leveraged by machine learning algorithms to realise concepts such as digital threads or twins, letting businesses leverage realtime data to make informed decisions about their operations.
The term digital thread is also used to describe the traceability of the digital twin back to the requirements, parts and control systems that make up the physical asset.
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object. For example, an elevator would be outfitted with various IOT sensors related to vital areas of functionality. These sensors produce data about various aspects of the physical object’s performance, such as energy output, temperature, humidity, bore of weight and more. This data is then relayed to a processing system and applied to the digital copy. This data can be used to make real time data driven decision on maintenance as well as emergency shutdowns.
Once an organisation is informed with such data, the virtual model can be used to run simulations, study performance issues and generate possible improvements, all with the goal of generating valuable insights — which can then be applied back to the original physical object.
Data driven decision making: Leveraging realtime information for up to the second analytics, providing data to decision makers the most up to date information for their decision making.
Digitally transforming a company's operations involves the integration of technology into all aspects of the business, from data driven decision making to customer service and supply chain management. This transformation helps companies streamline processes, increase efficiency, improve customer satisfaction and gain a competitive advantage. It also enables organisations to collect and analyse data, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance decision-making capabilities. A successful digital transformation requires a clear strategy, strong leadership, investment in technology, and a commitment to change management and continuous improvement. The end goal is to create a more agile, customer-focused and data-driven organisation that can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer demands.
