Why Digital Transformation Should Begin with Employee Training?
In the 21st century, digital transformation has gained a rapid pace due to increasing competition. Today, companies have adopted various digital means to excel in their business operations. The digital transformation has laid a strong foundation for the future of corporate.
Numerically, experts have predicted that the digital experience platform (DXP) market will jump from $7.9 billion in 2019 to $13.9 billion by 2024 at an impressive CAGR of 12%. Many people are unaware of what digital transformation is, how it works, and the key areas of this change.
What is Digital Transformation?
Digital Transformation refers to the utilization and implementation of digital means in several business areas. It takes into account various technologies and software to improve overall business efficiency and effectiveness.
This transformation includes various digital tools & instruments like Artificial Intelligence, advanced Intranet platforms, CRM tools, cloud storage, robotics, automation systems, project management tools, etc. An interesting fact shows that the artificial intelligence market is forecasted to speed up from 16.4% (YOY) in 2021 to $327.5 billion and reach $554.3 billion by 2024.
It is common to see digital transformation in every aspect of business, be it employee digital transformation or sales & marketing digitization. However, the most crucial aspect of digital transformation occurs in human resource management.
Employees hold the most integral part of digital transformation. A company can march towards successful digital transformation only when its employees are well-trained in digital practices.
Importance Of Digital Transformation
The four vivid and most popular pillars of digital transformation are – technology, data, process, and organizational change. The merits of digital transformation are listed below.
Easy & Quick Data Collection
Advanced and sophisticated technologies help a business find and pool data more conveniently. The installed software systems assist in gathering a massive chunk of information within a few minutes.
It can compare data and results of different sectors and areas like marketing, sales, human resource, finance, production, etc. It can store data for a long time, and a company can access & retrieve different files to draw conclusions.
Customer Service & Satisfaction
Optimum utilization of digital tools can stimulate growth in sales and marketing by improving customer service. These tools are useful in extracting customer data which is otherwise difficult through traditional methods.
They can access customer feedback, analyze social media metrics, etc., to draw helpful inferences. They can improve their products and services on the basis of this automatically-driven data.
Integration Of Different Systems a collaborated unit. It lowers unnecessary and wasteful activities by harmonizing and integrating various applications, databases, and device data. This coordination facilitates higher efficiency of each department, leading to overall company growth.
Speedy Operations & Accuracy
When there is more computational work, there are fewer chances of errors. Apart from accuracy, digitization training and development help employees complete the most boring task before the stipulated deadline. Therefore, accuracy with speed is a significant feature of digital transformation.
Enhances Profitability
The most crucial benefit of digital transformation is its overall impact on business growth. It results in increased productivity and sales, which leads to incremental profits. According to reports, around 80% of businesses witness growth in their profits after adopting digital transformation tools.
Ways To Train & Prepare Employees For Digital Transformation
Employees can find it challenging to adapt to a digital transformation environment if the company does not employ the right strategies and methodologies of training. Organizations should follow the below-stated ways to train employees for digital transformation.
Interesting & Creative Elements
Involving creative elements in employee digital transformation is the most effective and modern way of teaching new concepts & practices. Trainers should use gamification elements, interesting color palettes, visual designs, patterns, graphics, illustrations, practical demos, etc.
This style of digitization training and development can lead to better employee engagement. It persuades employees to participate in the digital transformation of the company actively. It can also inject enthusiasm and competitiveness into them. Another way of motivating the trainees is incorporating appreciation and acknowledgment activities in the training sessions.
Easy Customization Of Training Sessions
Traditional classroom training sessions can be boring when everyone is required to learn things at the same pace. Companies can prepare employees for digital transformation by incorporating technology in training sessions, i.e., customizing it for every employee.
Through these mobile apps, businesses can allow the employees to select the most suitable or desired learning style, i.e., text, audio, video, or any other way of learning things. Moreover, the trainees can watch the videos or listen to audio whenever they need it at their preferred speed.
Practical Training
A person can get expertise in digital tools once they start working with them. In other words, many companies focus on the ‘learning by doing’ mantra. This technique enhances employees’ skills manifold. Many people define this style as a real-world learning experience.
Businesses stress more active learning than passive learning. An employee is given a complete work environment and working conditions in the former type. They perform regular activities with a trainer. The master guides them through different things.
Why Employee Training Must Be The Starting Process Of Digital Transformation
Employee training is a vital launching point for digital transformation. There are various reasons why companies lay special emphasis on corporate training before initiating a digital transformation. These reasons are mentioned as follows:
- Due to a sudden shift towards remote working, digital transformation is the most buzzing thing in the corporate world. It becomes very important for employees to get well-equipped with different storage systems, technological tools, etc.
- Human resources are the key elements that will keep a record of daily business work updates. If the employees are not aware of the data-driven tools, they will find a problem in matching with the company expectations.
- When an employee does not have adequate knowledge about different digital tools, it will act as a barrier in the communication process. It will also affect other departments. Therefore, businesses will find it challenging to adopt a streamlined digital transformation strategy without employee training.
- A department can benefit from digital transformation when activities are performed quickly at a decent pace. This agility is achieved when employees operate the systems correctly. Early digitization training and development of employees will facilitate the smooth functioning of organizations post-digital transformation.
Apart from these points, employee training can prove beneficial in the digital transformation process as it will increase productivity in the organization. The swift entering of data and its interpretation will assist the management in making more quick decisions.
Moreover, starting with employee training will make employees more special and respected. Employees will embrace the digital transformation process right from the beginning while managing various obstacles on the road to transformation.
Well-trained employees are a vital element to successful digital transformation and over the years, the role of employee’s digital transformation has gained prominence due to the increasing demand for a skilled workforce. By introducing fun, customised, active learning that’s built into their regular workflow, employees will have more skills and enthusiasm to support your future plans for digital transformation.
Digital transformation can bring a change to the company. But, a significant challenge lies ahead for business employees to cope with the emerging challenges in digitization. Digital means can build a strong futuristic structure of a company and prepare the employees for the future in advance with all your new tools and apps as well. It’s clear that employees who receive interactive, on-demand training on how to use these tools are going to master them quicker and more effectively than those receiving passive directions.
