Every business will currently be experiencing some sort of digital transformation. Be that implementing a new ERP system, updating their SharePoint, installing Intune to protect endpoints, etc. For some it might not be labelled as “digital transformation” or part of their digital strategy, it could simply be seen as essential maintenance, but that could lead to future problems.
Without clear direction, you could be updating systems on an as and when basis. Giving little thought to the strategic benefit you could experience by implementing these changes as part of a clear strategy.
If you’re unsure of where to start in regards to digital transformation, our team of consultants can help. If you are thinking of designing a digital transformation for 2022 or already have a transformation strategy here are things you should consider adding in 2022.
Cyber Security
Cyber security is vital, yet it can be quite easy to overlook it during the earlier stages of a company’s development. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a strategy or agreed set of processes at outset, as your business grows, dealing with any cyber security issues will become considerably more challenging. One of the benefits of digital transformation is the growing opportunities to secure data and consumer information at various levels.
Across Microsoft 365 you will find key security tools like Multi-Factor Authentication, the ability for admins to sign users out of all accounts, or for those working in a hybrid environment we would recommend protecting all endpoints with a solution like Intune (we can help with it’s implementation and licensing, contact us to learn more).
Whereever you are in digital strategy planning, we recommend ensuring that cyber security makes it onto the list.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is a crucial enabler of digital transformation. AI integration drives flexibility, innovation, and adaptation at a never-before-seen rate. AI is everywhere, no longer restricted to single departments and can be utilised throughout the business for continuous improvement.
In 2022, we are seeing a huge drive in the number of people looking to utilise AI to improve all functions of their business, with a spike in the popularity of Dynamics 365 AI. A tool that enables the people closest to your business challenges to resolve them using intelligent apps.
It offers in-depth insights, making each touchpoint more relevant and responsive with proactive, data-driven insights into customer needs and behaviours. It can remove business silos, by providing a deeper understanding of your customers and organisation by unifying relationships, processes, and data across apps.
Data-Driven Decisions
The complexity and volume of data we gather has grown exponentially, and we are constantly being bombarded with messages about how “big data” can provide a vast range of opportunities. Whilst never hearing much about the how.
To utilise the data your business generates to make informed decisions, you first need systems that can interpret and visualise that data. So, if data-driven decision making is on your list, we recommend investing in a solution to do just that.
We recommend tools like Power Bi and Tableau, both known for their ability to interpret data and decipher it into easy to read and action dashboards. Tableau is a complex solution that may require some in-house data manipulation and programming knowledge. Whilst Power Bi can be implemented by a partner and interpreted by anyone regardless of background. You can learn more about Power Bi here.
Distributed Enterprise
The massive increase in remote and hybrid working, means traditional office-centric businesses are shifting into geographically dispersed businesses. Which changes the way businesses operate, often resulting in cheaper networking costs, better performance, and faster adoption.
In the future, the corporate distributed edge will be important for realising the full potential of technologies like IoT, 5G, AI, microservices architectures, and others across all industries.
If you are just shifting to this model of working, we can help build a digital strategy that will support the growth of your now distributed enterprise.
Autonomous Systems (AS)
Self-managing hardware or software systems that learn from their surroundings are known as autonomous. Unlike automated systems, they may change their algorithms dynamically without requiring external updates, allowing them to adapt to changing field conditions quickly.
Autonomous systems have already impacted recent deployments and complex security contexts. We predict that they will become even more widespread in physical systems such as robots, manufacturing equipment, and smart environments in the long run.
In Summary
A strong digital transformation strategy creates new opportunities, refines the collection of customer insights, drives scalability of various services, empowers teams with real-time information, encourages the establishment of transparency, agility, and more. Incorporating new tech without a plan will not digitally transform your business, it may improve a process here or there but it will not future proof your enterprise.
We hope this article has inspired you to update your digital strategy in line with the latest 2022 business trends. For those needing help making the adjustments or implementing their plan, our team of Microsoft Certified Consultants can help. Simply contact us here, or use our booking form to explore some of the solutions we offer and arrange a demo.