Making the switch to digital is often an anxiety-induced task. It requires you to evaluate your company’s processes, identify the best areas for digital investment, and get the rest of your team onboard. Most daunting of all seems to be the task of training all employees how to use new digital tools. However, the experiences of the past year have made it clear that while the learning curve may be steep, the task is not impossible.
Once our business world adjusted to a semi-digital routine, we began seeing the opportunities. Now, going digital is no longer a choice, but a necessity. If companies want to survive, they must innovate and be strategic about how they will use digital tools. For many businesses, making the switch to digital tools and services opened a new world of opportunities. For others, the switch is not as straight forward.
Whether you are responsible for a museum centred on its in-person experiences, or a large warehouse full of workers, some combination of digital tools and innovations will come of aid to you.
Here are three reasons why the switch to digital is ideal for every business:
1. Digitization is Malleable
Once you digital, it does not mean that you can’t go back. In some cases, like for current events, offering an online experience is temporary, until in-person events can resume. It is a way to bridge the gap between times of normalcy. In addition, going digital does not mean your entire business plan, along with every single process, needs to be updated. Rather, updating core necessities is a best practice to start. Tools that will help your team communicate among themselves, as well as with your clients are the ones you need to focus on; and the ones that can be adjusted as the environment continues to change.
2. Blended experiences are stronger
Down the line, you will find that combining your digital and non-digital strategies, tools and experiences, strengthens them. Online events and conferences, for example, pose the great benefit of preventing the need for travel. While in-person events may return eventually, they will likely offer some online component, to reap the benefits of both options. In the case of workplace learning, many companies are opting to providing online learning, so that their employees have the training they need wherever they are. When back on location, employees will still be able to benefit from the online learning, now having it at their disposal at the time of need. Combining both in-person and online support makes for a much stronger learning experience.
3. Digitization offers a fallback plan
When you digitize a content or a process, you add to your options. Say you are in charge of a museum that strives on in-person experiences and has now had to keep its doors closed. Transforming your in-person experiences into digital ones would not only mean you can continue to reach visitors, but you are also able to change between them as needed. When you are able to accept in-person visitors, your exhibit will be available. When in-person visits are restrained, your exhibit can remain available online. Digitizing a process or experience does not mean that you are only able to offer them online. It means you have the option to do so when in-person services are not plausible. It offers security in a constantly changing environment, allowing you to switch between methods as needed.
Though it can seem like a lot of work, the benefits of going digital are to extensive to ignore. In many cases, making small digital adjustments, or implementing digital tools here and there is a simple task that goes a long way. In today’s world, the digital environment is plowing forward and those businesses and organizations that are not planning their digital strategy will fall behind.
It can be difficult to envision your digital strategy. To see an example of how a fully in-person experience can be brought to life online, see our CHP case study. Enable Education can help you begin planning and building your digital strategy. Contact us to schedule a discovery call where we can help you start brainstorming.
