The “digital transformation” concept has been around for years, but AI has made it even more compelling. Generative AI promises to enable new levels of efficiency, productivity, customer service and innovation, but legacy technologies and business processes hold many organizations back.
The goal of digital transformation is to remove those roadblocks. Some people equate digital transformation to IT modernization, but most definitions go beyond that. In the broadest sense, it refers to the use of the latest technologies to fundamentally change business processes and models. Those that transform their operations will become more competitive, while those that don’t will likely be displaced by more agile and innovative competitors.
Digital transformation isn’t just an IT initiative — it’s a strategic, long-term approach that must be driven by business leaders. However, studies have shown that as many as 70 percent of digital transformation projects are unsuccessful. A McKinsey study found that the average organization experiences one-third of the anticipated revenue benefits.
The Role of UC in Cultural Change
Part of the challenge is that digital transformation requires cultural change, and that depends on effective communication. Everyone in the extended enterprise needs the ability to collaborate to drive innovation and growth. As such, the right unified communications (UC) platform can help enable digital transformation.
UC empowers users to connect using various communication channels regardless of device or location. Remote, hybrid and mobile workers have access to the same capabilities as those who work in the office. Video conferencing enables more effective meetings among geographically dispersed teams. All these features are available under one unified interface, eliminating the need to switch among apps.
More effective communication also helps streamline workflows, minimize operational bottlenecks and strengthen teams. This, in turn, enhances the employee experience, reducing turnover and improving business performance. The organization is better positioned to capitalize on the benefits of transformative technologies such as AI.
Powering Growth
While there are many cloud-based collaboration tools available, a well-designed UC platform gives organizations greater control. The solution can be tightly integrated with other business applications and workflows to further enhance productivity. Best-in-class UC solutions also have built-in security features to help protect sensitive data and ensure regulatory compliance. Teams can share information on critical projects without the risks of data leakage or exposure that come with consumer-grade services.
UC platforms can also capture valuable data on performance, communication flows and user behaviors. Analytics tools enable organizations to gain new insights that enable greater efficiency and productivity. Organizations can also make data-driven decisions that drive continuous improvements and competitive advantages.
Together, these capabilities improve digital transformation success rates, helping the organization launch new products and services and expand into new markets. The UC platform can grow along with the business, easily scaling to support more users, devices and business requirements.
Ensuring Success
Choosing the right UC platform is critical to success. Organizations should carefully vet features and capabilities to ensure that they meet current requirements and can respond flexibly to change. For most organizations, a cloud-based UC-as-a-Service (UCaaS) solution is a good option. UCaaS makes adding users easy and cost-effective. In many cases, organizations can also add features and services as their needs evolve.
A managed services provider (MSP) with expertise in UC solutions can help guide the selection process. Qualified MSPs have seen which solutions work in real-world environments and know the technology roadmaps of the various UC vendors. The MSP can then help design and implement the chosen solution, setting up user accounts, programming communication flows, configuring administrative tools and more. This eliminates the IT team’s learning curve and accelerates deployment.
Verteks has years of experience designing and implementing UC solutions. Let us help you leverage UC to drive your digital transformation initiative to a successful outcome.