Digital transformation is what’s happening to organizations as they adopt new and innovative ways to do business based on technological advances. It’s the process of fundamentally changing something using digital tools and describes adopting technology and—potentially—cultural changes to improve or replace whatever existed before. Digital transformation isn’t a product or solution to be purchased, but it affects everything IT touches in every industry.
We feel technology’s absence (or malfunction) more poignantly than its presence. Our world is digital, and we expect technology to work for us, seamlessly. Most of the time it does. Our smart phones carry all the data needed (and more) to be productive all day long—from word processing tools to calendars, home energy notifications to transportation options, and food delivery services to weather forecasts. But it’s when technology doesn’t work for us that we feel its absence the most. Waiting to pay cash at a toll booth because electronic receivers weren’t installed on the highway. Visiting the downtown courthouse for a public record you know should have been available online. Watching conference call technology fail again.
That’s why organizations have to invest in technology that serves employees and consumers alike in ways we expect. Clouds, mobile apps, and Stuff-as-a-Service require new types of storage, analytics, automation, and management. One innovation leads to another; new technology leads to process improvements which lead to better products and services. Then customers demand even more improvements because they’ve grown accustomed to certain experiences in our daily lives.
