What "Digital Transformation" Actually Means for Your Business

Synergy. Paradigm shift. Disruption. There are so many buzzwords saturating modern business jargon nowadays, including and especially “digital transformation.”

Unfortunately, “digital transformation” sounds big and, worse, expensive… especially for our small and medium-sized business neighbors. We wanted to step in and assure you that this is not the case and that any business can benefit from it, provided it is approached correctly and mindfully.

First of All: What is Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation is the process of utilizing modern tools and technology to address the business problems we all encounter.

That’s pretty much it. It’s using better tools to accomplish the same goals, but better… whether that means it's more securely, more productively, or more competitively. Think about the last time you warmed up leftovers… you took them out of the fridge and threw them in the microwave, right? Without digital transformation, you’d have pulled them out of the icebox and heated them up over the wood stove.

With today’s capabilities, there’s really no area of a modern business that can’t benefit in some way from some level of digital transformation. Let’s talk about some ways that any small business can start making these shifts.

Three Simple Transformations an SMB Can Make:

Filing Cabinets to Cloud Storage
Paper records are a significant pain to manage and can become expensive to maintain over time. Moving to a cloud storage system provides a more secure and accessible alternative, allowing your team members to access the resources they need more quickly and easily and collaborate on their work, wherever they happen to be working.

Appointment Book to Customer Relationship Management System
The calendar that once kept track of meetings and appointments can now be replaced by CRM systems, which offer far greater utility. This utility includes features such as enhanced sales tracking and customer service, as well as lead-nurturing tools, all of which allow your business to accomplish more.

Business Phone to Business Phone and Much, Much More
Not all business phone systems are created equally. For instance, there are business phone systems that utilize the traditional telephone network, and then there are business phone systems that use the Internet, like VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), offering a range of additional features and benefits—like instant messaging, file sharing, and video collaboration—as a result. 

Want Help with Your Business’ Next Digital Transformation?

Preferred is here to help! We assist Chicagoland businesses in managing their critical technology, and we can assist you. Give us a call at 708-781-7110 to find out more.