Over the past few weeks, we have been hosting our weekly live webinars on 5 steps to become Globally Competitive. From these live sessions, we continue to get great questions from our viewing audience. One of these questions is, “How soon will you see benefits from digital transformation?”.  

The simple answer to this is approximately three to six months depending on your organization’s adoption rate is when you will see the impact of digital transformation.  

Listen to my answer here- How soon would an organisation see benefits when it is implemented? 

WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE 

When we start, or rather before we even begin the process of digital transformation, current operational performance baselines are measured. Once we’ve identified these baselines completed measuring the current process, we begin the transformation process. Then we remeasure each of those processes and benchmark the current against the future state. Or rather, where we were, to where we are now, to give a true appreciation of the increase in productivity and efficiency that would have taken place. This roughly takes place within the third to the sixth month, within any organization.  

WHY DOES IT TAKE THIS LONG? 

It takes 3 to 6 months is because, upon completion of the digitization process, staff within the organization need to be trained. This training takes time. Training can either be one-on-one, where we have a small group of five to eight persons, or a train the trainer program. Once training is completed, the old system runs in parallel with the newly integrated system to ensure that all relevant data is in the manual system or the old system, are also picked up and captured in the new system. That month allows for the tweaking period to take place. Any issues that management or staff may encounter, are adjusted at this stage.  

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? 

Once all of the systems are in place, we officially cross over from the old system, fully into the new system, where 100% of all of your operations are carried out in the digital space. Hence the reason for three to six months.  

WHAT OTHER FACTORS SHOULD WE CONSIDER? 

More so now in this environment where operations are moving slower because of COVID and because many organizations are running shift or rotational systems. You also need to cater and bear in mind that component, when we are executing a transition.  

In three to six months, you will be able to benchmark where we were, to where we are now, and see the increase in productivity and efficiency that digital transformation can bring to the environment. Your organization will use digital transformation as one of the vehicles toward global competitiveness. 

Join us every Thursday at 2 pm on our Facebook , YouTube or LinkedIn pages to be part of these exciting conversations.