Digitalisation is a mega trend most organisations want to get on board with. Acquiring new digital tools is a great start but in order to boost efficiency, old working habits must also be addressed. The good news is, going digital provides a great opportunity to do just that.
These are my five top tips to make the shift.
1. Streamline processes
I was born in a Nordic country where kids are raised to be independent from a young age. It probably explains why I sometimes find it difficult to understand the many layers of management in some organisations.
It would be so much more productive if all work orders were managed digitally. This way the tasks can be delegated to the right person based on automated rules instead of them having to go through two middle men and a bunch of paperwork.
Top tip: See if there are too many layers in the organisation to streamline the processes.
2. Take all or nothing approach
This is a true story. We were implementing our system with a client, and instead of deciding to go all digital, the customer wanted to take a manual digital approach.
The tenants were now able to submit service requests online but those were printed on paper by the director’s secretary, who then passed them on to the maintenance manager. He signed the paper and gave it to the team leader, who took the paper to the technician that was most suited for the job. The technician completed the task, and then the whole process went backwards.
Sounds complicated? It was.
Top tip: If you decide to go digital, go all in. Otherwise you end up with even more work than before.
3. Calculate financial gains
Changing old habits can seem complex at first. When you assess the return on investment, the gains become concrete, and you can estimate how much money will be saved. Our client, Radisson Blue Hotel, Beijing, who adopted our software and adjusted their ways of working, saved 15% in just four months.
Top tip: Make financial evaluation a priority.
4. Trust is must
I believe that in order to go from the old ways of micromanaging, staff must be trusted. Digital tools make this more straightforward because everything is in the system for everyone to see, at any time. This means greater autonomy for the employees, and easier supervision for the management.
Top tip: Use digital tools to nurture trust in your organisation.
5. Don’t do it alone
When digitalisation is done right, it can hugely improve productivity, transparency, and communication. There is a window for opportunity to change the ways of working when implementing a digital system. Use it and make the most of it with help from an experienced consultant. They can see things from a new perspective and suggest adjustments that can save time and money.
Top tip: If you think you should give digitalisation a chance, go for it. Just don’t do it alone.
