There is no second thought that businesses will have to go digital in order to survive in this constantly changing technology-driven environment. Gone are the days when people were skeptical about technological advancements. Today, technology has become an integral part of a successful business model.
To excel in this digital age, having superior digital technology, agile execution and a tech-savvy C-suite is not enough. Businesses must have a unique approach with a quick turnaround, that not only is fit for the future but does not create any disruptions in the existing processes.
But most firms, especially with complex processes, are failing to Transform Digitally.
Businesses had only two options for digitalization, either Build or Buy. It is obvious that “Build” suits the best because that is custom made but like custom tailoring, it involves considerable time and comes with a higher cost. The contrary is “Buy” where things are available off-the-shelf, they are cheaper, but the fit is not perfect. Similarly, when companies opt for ready-to-use applications, they need to accustom their business processes to the readily defined workflows in these applications. This is exactly what creates disruption. You find employees using spreadsheets or other applications to manage their work and it becomes difficult for businesses to have centralized and digital data.
Today, the third option that is widely gaining acceptance is Low Code / No Code. LC/NC has the potential to take businesses to a new level of agility and growth by transforming them digitally in NO TIME. Its integration and digitalization of existing processes are flawless while adding value and sparking innovation. It has a quick turnaround time, typically costs much less than the custom-built applications, and fits perfectly with your business be it manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceutical, eCommerce, and the list goes on.
Most importantly, the change from existing to new is impeccable.
Some of the fastest growing categories within LC/NC are RPA/IPA (Process Automation), Virtual assistants, or chatbots. But nowadays LC/NC for process automation or integration with legacy applications is gaining much popularity. Small to medium businesses are using it for developing transactional systems such as Order management, workplace safety management, RFQ, Vendor & Inventory Management, Assets Tracker, Shop Floor Automation, Defect Detection, and many more. Similarly, large-scale enterprises are using it even for complex processes because LC/NC can integrate with SAP or other transactional systems and can digitalize tasks that individuals would typically perform using spreadsheets, word processors, or electronic file folders. LC/NC also has capabilities of attractive and insightful visual analytics, and web and mobile apps.
A truly successful business transformation requires innovations that help businesses create new markets that didn’t exist, gain new customers, and at the same time deliver customer delight to existing ones. LC/NC precisely helps businesses in achieving digital implementation faster, custom fit yet scalable, and delivers greater ROI.
A CEO’s 5-step plan for a successful Digital Journey
First, Speed. The more an organization grows, the bigger structure and communication layers it has, slowing them down. The CEO must ensure that with digital implementation the layers are more transparent, and the processes remain fluid. LC/NC is the fast enabler of the change which not only ensures speedy implementation but better overall efficiency throughout.
Second, Tech should relate to business. There should be tech-driven strategies and not strategy-driven tech. The efficacy of any business is directly connected with the successful integration of its operations with technology. Often due to a lack of personalization and agility, businesses had to bend their strategies in accordance with technology. It’s 2022 and personalization is no longer a luxury, it is a must-have. Thanks to technologies like Low Code/No Code (LC/NC) that make a perfect fit possible!
Third, stay current and relevant with your IT investment. The CEO has to let go of the traditional and legacy systems and eliminate the unnecessary that does not contribute to the business, the customers, or the team. LC/NC helps in identifying and defining clearly what business needs in terms of automation and digitization. For most firms, it becomes important to take a call on the processes or features that were once the core of the business operations or revenue generation but in the current context letting them go or redefining them will only save resources and enhance productivity.
Fourth, close the technical gap between the leadership teams. It may be necessary to educate the department leaders and C-Suite on LC/NC for them to collaborate better and solve the roadblocks encountered by the team with the technology.
Finally, the CEO will have to gradually move the organization from a manual-driven hierarchical structure to self-driven units, teams, and micro businesses. In a traditional hierarchical structure, there is practically no time for a CEO to form well-informed future strategies. An organization can only undergo a digital transformation if it operates as a network of self-organizing entities having the power of digital data and that’s possible with Low code/ No Code as Chris Wanstrath, the former CEO of code-sharing repository Github, put it, “The future of coding is no coding at all.”
After all, it should not be Digital Transformation, it should be the RIGHT Digital Implementation and Business Transformation!
Author:
Sachin Gadia
Digital Transformation Strategist
Softude (By Systematix Infotech)
