Let's talk

There is so much we can learn from startups, even within more traditional companies – especially in the midst of digital transformation. Many startups today achieve incredible productivity thanks to the dynamic tools and processes they use. Founders are typically people who are open to change, and looking for tools and processes that can help them grow flexibly and cost-effectively.  

But any organization can benefit from a similar growth mindset when it comes to processes and tools. In fact, it’s so important in order for businesses to remain healthy, that I include it as one of the 8 areas to address when developing your business’s long-term digital fitness. 

Tools for Quick Wins

Today there is an abundance of tools and services that were created to help you organize your business, so you can focus on what really matters – like customers. With many tools available, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here is a list of favorites that are loved by entrepreneurs because they offer amazingly quick wins for little upfront investment:   

  • Online Business Loans
  • Project Management, like Trello or Asana (see below for more) 
  • Slack – try it, if you haven’t! 
  • A shared file system – Google Docs, NextCloud
  • Time management tools like Calendly

Digitalization doesn’t only mean cool apps and fun tools that make day-to-day life easier. More than anything, digitalization also means ever faster technical development, new workflows and, above all, ever greater complexity with more data, processes, systems and interdependencies.

Processes for Flexibility and Customer Focus

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=7140946511184036968&li_theme=light

We live in a constantly changing world that is getting less and less predictable. This can be described by the acronym VUCA. VUCA stands for: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambivalence—four characteristics that define our modern working environment. Uncertainty regarding future developments, mutual dependencies and the high complexity of systems are difficult to handle and demand a high degree of agility. But what does this mean in concrete terms for companies?

Agility is important in order to adapt to constantly changing conditions. At the same time, the most dynamic processes and the latest tools do not do much good if they are not customer-focused. The existing work processes and procedures should therefore first be critically examined before considering how they can be digitized. When outdated, inefficient processes are digitized, they remain inefficient digital processes.

Processes for Ideation and Priorities

However, if you use the design-thinking approach and think through all processes in a customer-centric way, you can develop effective solutions with added value and ultimately find the appropriate tools.

Digital tools such as cloud-based systems and the use of agile methods such as Scrum and KANBAN help to make workflows and communication more transparent and dynamic. At the same time, digital tools and agile methods promote more effective work processes and shorten work cycles and co-ordination phases.

Agile tools that every CEO should know about

Leading Agile Project Management Software can make a tremendous difference in your productivity. The top choices to support digital transformation according to a recent articleby FinancesOnline are: Monday.com, Wrike, Asana, Smartsheet and ProjectManager. Of course there are others. But all of these systems require top down adoption for top results. Which brings us to the question of what holds companies back from implementing such amazing tools?  Results of a survey by Franke Group in Futura.com point to the CEO, or even worse, to no one.  

Es wurde kein Alt-Text für dieses Bild angegeben.

Digital tools such as cloud-based systems and the use of agile methods such as Scrum and KANBAN help to make workflows and communication more transparent and dynamic. At the same time, digital tools and agile methods promote more effective work processes and shorten work cycles and co-ordination phases. Only then can an agile organization work, and the company benefit from greater effectiveness and speed in implementing target group-oriented products and services.

For more on how to develop your digital strategy, download the Digital Fitness White Paper here: https://www.enable2grow.com/en/digital-transformation-challenges/