Digital Transformation Trends in 2023 – A Guide for Business Leaders
If anyone harbored doubts about the potential power and impact of digital transformation, those vanished during the height of the Covid pandemic. We all witnessed rapid transformation take place in hospitals, in schools, within retail and food service, and pretty much everywhere else.
By now we all recognize that digital transformation is more than just putting order forms online. After all, many of us have been talking about the process and going through it for decades. But the pandemic also helped demonstrate how major external forces can accelerate the need for transformation, and can overcome the friction and inertia companies sometimes struggle with.
Moreover, we know there are more of those external forces on the horizon, from climate change, geopolitical upheaval, and from technology disruption itself, such as the boom in generative AI from mid-2022 through now and showing no signs of slowing.
What is Digital Transformation?
2023 Digital Transformation Trends
Pillars of Digital Transformation
Tips on Creating a Digital Transformation Strategy
What are the Challenges of Digital Transformation?
Hiring a Digital Transformation Consultant
We also know it isn’t just one magical digital transformation project and suddenly you’re done. The “waterfall” approach to software development doesn’t apply here as well as models like “agile” and other iterative methods. As the years go by and technology evolves, businesses must constantly adapt, update, align, and seek efficiencies in new ways. Looking ahead through the rest of 2023 and beyond, it’s clear that there will be a continued focus on using a wide range of technology to improve business operations — and doing so efficiently.
And as we look ahead to the next decade, I foresee a world where digital transformation is more than a buzzword; it’s an ongoing way of life for leadership. Imagine a world where every business, large and small, is able to leverage the latest technology trends to create a more streamlined and robust operation, better positioned to compete in the digital marketplace, and better able to offer meaningful human experiences. This is the world we are moving towards, and I am excited to be a part of leading the conversation around it.
As the original “Tech Humanist,” I have long believed that technology can and should be used to create a better world for all people — even as we use it to make business more effective and more profitable. A strategic approach to digital transformation is a key part of achieving this goal, as it allows businesses to leverage technology to improve their operations and better serve their customers at the same time.
So, welcome to this future-ready version of digital transformation! In fact, I often prefer to talk about it as “future transformation” because an effective approach requires such a holistic, future-oriented world view. For now, though, we’ll move ahead using the terminology we all know.
What is Digital Transformation?
Broadly, digital transformation is the ongoing process of adapting a business around current technologies and consumer expectations — usually in such a way that it fundamentally changes the way that business operates, as well as the way people experience the business offerings. This might include everything from automating manual processes in procurement to developing new sophistication in customer-facing products and services.
To make it easier to conceptualize, think about mobile ordering on the Starbucks app and picking up your drink at the counter. And now think about everything that went into making that possible at every step of infrastructure. And now think about how analogous types of changes are happening in every business, across every industry.
The common goal of digital transformation is to create more efficient and effective business processes that are better positioned to compete in the digital age.
Digital transformation is the ongoing process of adapting a business around current technologies and consumer expectations — usually in such a way that it fundamentally changes the way that business operates, as well as the way people experience the business offerings.
2023 Digital Transformation Trends
Looking ahead to 2023, there are several key trends that are shaping the digital transformation landscape. One of the most all-encompassing — and hard to miss —trends this year has been the rise of artificial intelligence. Specifically, generative AI has gone mainstream, thanks to popular Large Language Models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. The role these technologies will ultimately have in many organizations is still emerging, but they stand to streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve business operations. This can include anything and everything from automating customer service to optimizing supply chain management.
With the rise of these tools comes a great deal of concern over their impact on human labor — and even some concern over their long-term impact on human existence. We have weighed in on both, but the fact is those longer-term conversations can be ambiguous and evolving. The shorter-term dangers are clear now: when it comes to AI models trained on publicly available content, there is always a risk of plagiarism and other IP violations, as well as misinformation, bias, and other harmful, misleading, or misguided output. Companies will have to factor these considerations into their strategic planning and potential adoption of AI tools.
But is AI just a trend?
AI is not a new trend in business, of course, but many of the models we’ve seen before the recent hype were more focused on data harvesting and algorithmic optimization. Those include product recommenders, productivity tools, and so on. We anticipate a growing emphasis, fueled by the other AI hype, on this broader area of data analytics and machine learning, as businesses seek to gain a better understanding of their customers and improve decision-making.
Trends in tech beyond AI
We can also expect to see continued growth in cloud computing and other distributed systems — partly to support the rise in hybrid and remote work, partly to support AI and some of the other trends discussed above. By leveraging the power of the cloud, businesses have been able to reduce costs, improve scalability, and increase flexibility.
Alongside these trends is the increasing importance of cybersecurity. As more business processes move online, it’s critical that organizations take steps to protect their sensitive data from hackers and other malicious actors.
Broader impacts from beyond tech
Finally, another major trend has been the influence of ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars. This model has carried over from the investment space into business governance more broadly. from a digital transformation standpoint, this might mean developing more measurable approaches to sustainability, or integrating greater transparency into the supply chain.
Pillars of Digital Transformation
There are five key pillars of future-ready digital transformation that businesses should focus on when developing their strategy. These include:
- Human experience — including the experiences of customers, employees, the broader community, perhaps even the world at large
- Operational agility — even more critical than efficiency, per se, this entails working to streamline processes and workflows without losing meaningful nuance
- Cultural transformation — employee empowerment, clarity of leadership, acknowledging gaps, keeping communication open
- Innovation of the business model, product, or other level — staying competitive, disrupting the market, improving the status quo
- Future-readiness — keeping an eye on how trends and expectations might change in culture over years to come
1. Human Experience
At the heart of future-ready digital transformation is human experience. Not just customer experience, but the consideration of all the people who are part of and affected by the changes at hand.
Customer experience in particular plays a driving role in setting priorities: consumers today have access to a wealth of information and options, and they expect businesses to provide a personalized, seamless experience across all touchpoints. This means leveraging data and technology to understand customer needs and preferences, and designing products and services that meet those needs. It also means providing a consistent experience across all channels, whether it’s online, in-store, or via mobile devices.
For example, a retail business might use data analytics to personalize product recommendations for each customer, based on their past purchases and browsing history. They might also offer a mobile app that allows customers to easily find and purchase products, as well as track their order status in real-time.
2. Operational Agility
Digital transformation also requires operational agility. This means using technology to streamline and automate business processes, as well as to respond quickly to changing market conditions. It also means breaking down silos between departments and fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation.
For example, a manufacturing company might use IoT sensors to monitor production in real-time, identify potential issues, and make adjustments on the fly. They might also use predictive analytics to forecast demand and optimize inventory levels, reducing waste and improving efficiency.
3. Cultural Transformation
Digital transformation requires a cultural transformation. This means breaking down silos between departments and fostering a culture of innovation and experimentation. It also means investing in employee training and development, and creating an environment that encourages collaboration and risk-taking.
For example, a technology company might create cross-functional teams to work on new product development, bringing together employees from engineering, marketing, and customer service. They might also offer training programs to help employees develop new skills in areas such as data analytics, AI, and UX design.
4. Innovation: Business Model, Product, and Beyond
Digital transformation also presents opportunities for business model innovation. This means rethinking traditional business models and exploring new ways of creating value for customers. It might involve developing new revenue streams, leveraging partnerships and ecosystems, or creating entirely new products and services.
For example, a bank might partner with a fintech startup to offer mobile payments and other digital services to customers. They might also develop new subscription-based services, such as personalized financial advice or credit monitoring, to supplement their traditional banking products.
5. Future-readiness
Finally, an integrated approach to digital transformation means keeping an eye on how trends and expectations might change in culture over years to come. This means looking beyond your industry, beyond the existing user base, and beyond the immediate roadmap. Taking the long view helps ensure that your transformation efforts won’t become irrelevant or stale before you’ve even finished rolling them out.
By focusing on these pillars as part of a digital transformation framework, businesses can develop a comprehensive digital transformation strategy that addresses all aspects of their operations.
Tips on Creating a Digital Transformation Strategy
When developing a digital transformation strategy, there are several key tips to keep in mind. First, while it may seem counterintuitive, we recommend that you don’t start by thinking about technology. It will be important to consider how the latest technology trends augment and enhance your strategic plan, but only after you’ve begun from a clear strategic focus. Start with alignment between the business and the people who do business with you.
Then consider how data can help you model that alignment, and how technology can accelerate and amplify the alignment. The harmony between business needs and human needs should drive the technology decisions, and once you get there, that can include anything from artificial intelligence to blockchain to sensors to… well, you name it. Nanobots. Whatever. As long as it’s in service of the strategic alignment between business purpose and human experience, it can go into the digital transformation roadmap.
Finally, it really is important to work with a trusted partner like KO Insights to advise on the digital transformation process. Our exposure to a wide range of industries and projects can help us recognize future considerations and limitations your team may be too close to notice. We can help your team come together on a shared vision, shared values, and shared vocabulary — all of which are needed to see a transformation project through with sophistication and clarity to the next cycle, and the next.
What are the Challenges in Digital Transformation?
While the benefits of digital transformation for business are many, such as greater agility, speed to market, and better alignment with customer needs, there are also inevitably challenges that businesses face through implementation. Sometimes this is because of resistance to change within the organization; sometimes it’s a lack of technical expertise. Sometimes leaders haven’t worked through the day-to-day decisions they’ll need to make that will reinforce the change — or undermine it.
However, with the right strategy and guidance, with patience, with communication, these challenges can all be overcome. Through the diverse range of projects we’ve advised at KO Insights, we have seen a wide range of obstacles. But we’ve also helped businesses successfully overcome them to navigate the digital transformation process. Even when the blockade seems impassable, there is usually a way forward. Sometimes it takes going back to basics — like asking ‘why are we doing this,’ ‘what are our objectives’ and so on — which allows the team to proceed with greater clarity and agreement. (We recommend a strategic facilitation with the relevant leadership team in cases like that.)
Although digital transformation seems to be about technology, it’s largely about humans: the people whose experiences you’re reshaping, the people who are making the everyday decisions or doing the everyday work that supports the change, the people who will be affected in some way by what this change means. That’s why we so often talk about human-centric digital transformation: to keep the focus where it belongs.
Hiring a Digital Transformation Consultant
If you are implementing a digital transformation project in your business, it can be beneficial to work with a strategic advisory firm like KO Insights — whether to step in and help resolve difficulties, or to consult alongside your project from the beginning. Our expertise has led many companies you know and respect through the uncertainty of digital transformation, through considerations of experience design decisions at scale, through future-readiness analyses, and more. We provide strategic clarity, high-level support, and guidance throughout the process.
Conclusion
Digital transformation is an essential — and ongoing — part of running a successful business in the digital age. By leveraging the latest technology trends and focusing on the key pillars of digital transformation, businesses can create a more efficient and effective operation that is better positioned to compete in the digital marketplace.
If you are looking to implement a new digital transformation project in your business, contact KO Insights today to learn more about how we can help.
