Technology has always moved at a rapid pace, but the pandemic has kicked things to another level for businesses of all types. To survive in today’s economy, businesses must be able to make things safe and convenient for their customers, which means adopting the latest technology to stay afloat.
While customer-facing technology is relatively easy to install, an internal shift in mindset is a bit more complicated. While technology is nothing new overall, COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated the adoption of technology across all industries.
One survey found that 77% of CEOs sped up their companies’ digital transformation plans. Another found that COVID-19 accelerated companies’ digital communications strategies by an average of six years.
The problem with the rapid acceleration of need is that digital transformation efforts are challenging and often unsuccessful. Many organizations take the DIY approach and boost their staff and budget rather than seeking help from reliable business management software.
For a transformation to achieve sustainable success, it needs to start at the top. Your CEO, CFO, CMO, etc. must be on the same page for strategy and willing to adapt to change. It takes forward-thinking and to move into the digital age.
Here are five tips to help your C-suite adapt to the digital era.
1. Keep The Big Picture In Mind
Change is hard for any organization in any situation. And a big issue with a technology overhaul or adoption is the common thinking that by the time your team gets used to the new technology, you’ll just have to change it again.
This is a bit of a nature of the beast situation, but it’s also an attitude that will leave your business behind while others continue to march forward. As long as you plan for long-term success and work with the right technology partners, your business can keep up — or better yet, stay ahead.
There’s a revolution among top management roles underway as more needs emerge in the modern workplace. Sometimes, it becomes clear that the wrong leaders are in place to move an organization forward. Suitable successors are needed and a tremendous amount of turnover may be on the horizon.
We’re at a place where tech-savvy should be the priority over traditional roles. Duties can be fluid, and there will surely be some skepticism and resistance to the changes. But if you’re able to show the transformation in a bigger context — one that is natural and essential to serve your customers better moving forward — your board will see that it’s the only way.
You’ll be able to solve day-to-day problems while you better prepare your company for success for years to come. You’ll create a bold vision that brings your entire organization together — one that your C-suite leaders can embrace, buy into, and use to motivate.
2. Visualize – What Does The Change To Digital Look Like?
Previously, business communication was slow and multi-channeled. You had to connect a bunch of dots just to schedule a meeting. Now that you can communicate openly with your entire team on a central network, things are much more convenient.
You can use your communications network to move projects and ideas forward, faster. Time-laborious meetings are becoming a thing of the past. The information flows, and so does your team’s productivity.
Leadership that embraces these modern enhancements to your company’s efficiencies are the leaders you need. They are digitally fluent and advocate for the team-forward approach. They’re able to show, rather than tell, what change looks like because they have the digital fluency in addition to business fundamentals to present a vision, then bring it to fruition.
3. Create A Culture Of Change
Once a vision is in place, it’s time to create buy-in.
The best way to get your team on board with the transition to the digital era is to get them involved in the conversation. You need to create a culture that is open to change. When you engage with your team and gather their input, you’ll create an innovative culture of change that will reinforce technology-driven shifts.
A change to digital, after all, will touch every part of your business, from the board room to your IT department. To truly benefit from these innovations, your entire organization must feel like they are part of the journey rather than dropping it into their laps and saying “figure it out.”
Embracing new technologies is hard, but when they are part of the process, they’ll be more open to learning and you’ll build a team that will develop the necessary skills to thrive.
4. Implement & Execute The Plan
You’ve already dreamed a dream with your company vision, now it’s time to take that idea and turn it into action. You can expand your C-suite from a traditional structure to include officers that will help take your company where you want to go. You’ve identified new areas of need and figured out the skills and personality you require to fill them.
With your team in place, you discuss, scrutinize, and fine-tune every level of the plan to embrace digital, then execute. It might be uncomfortable at first, but together, you’ll find a way to move forward, make more informed decisions, and embrace the change.
When your C-suite is involved and informed, you’ll have a specific, cohesive approach and a shared commitment to revenue, growth, and profit.
5. Measure Progress & Results
But a plan is only a good one if you can measure the results!
Digital initiatives fail or stall when there is no proof of a measurable return. Pull reports from your business management software regularly to see how your digital platform is performing. Use that data to make changes and better decisions.
Show your C-suite these results to show them where to best invest your company’s resources and move your organization toward those goals you’ve outlined above. Use that data to push innovation and opportunity. Develop support across the organization.
Summary
It’s important to be open-minded when moving your C-suite to the digital era. A data-driven approach helps use real data to make informed decisions rather than relying on intuition.
If you utilize a powerful business management solution to oversee your accounting, customer relationships, and resource planning, you’ll save countless man-hours and truly make the most of your digital transition.
The affordable, enterprise-level tools provided by aACE might just be the solution your team needs. Check out our feature highlights to learn how aACE can help your business increase visibility and improve your bottom line.
“aACE software is easy to use, intuitive, logical, and easily customized. It is clear that the architecture of aACE has been very well thought out. We were able to automate some previously manual processes that is resulting in literally hundreds of saved labor hours each month.” – Daniel Chapman , Founder & CEO, Redd Remedies
