Digital tech is transforming business models across many professional services industries. This is not only due to the advent of new technologies, but also because of the way customers are demanding business services.
The necessity to adapt to this evolving environment means that businesses need the right IT tools and applications to stay competitive.
Prior to the pandemic, the IDC predicted that 80% of business revenue growth would be reliant on digital tools by 2022. While the pandemic may have delayed this, it has brought about a necessary digital transformation for many businesses.
Companies in the professional services sector need to utilise digital technology to re-evaluate their business models and offer an improved customer experience.
What is digital agility?
Digital agility is a broad term that can be applied in various contexts of business. What it means for the professional sector is they have to be able to provide new services quickly, with minimal cost and effort.
The term that describes how to ensure you are prepared for change – digital or otherwise. It means understanding not only what your customers want now, but what they’ll need in the future.
Digital agility is a key factor in determining how successful a company will be in this rapidly changing environment. In the past, physical agility was what set some professionals apart from others. But now, those who are agile digitally are more successful.
In the current era of digital transformation, those who do not have the agility to change and adapt will not survive.
Transformations for professional services
Digital technology is transforming the professional services industry is by automating certain tasks that used to require human labour. This gives professionals more time to do what they do best – providing advice and expertise for their customers.
Digital agility in the cloud
Cloud-based tools and apps are necessary for managing a remote workforce. This way, employees will be able to access all data, information, and documents online, from any location. Moreover, the cloud will allow them to service themselves and reduce overhead costs even further.
Cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools enable you to store and analyse all the data your business collects. This insight can be insightful and lead to new business opportunities. These cloud-based solutions are allowing businesses to evolve in a way where they can work remotely, collaborate more efficiently, and increase productivity.
Automating admin tasks
Automation technology can free up workers from low-value, repetitive activities, such as standard account management interfaces.
Automation tools can streamline tasks such as:
- Scheduling appointments
- Providing customer support
- Helping users find information on the internet
- Data entry
- Email responses
By automating repetitive, tedious tasks, employees will be able to focus on other areas that are more important to the business, like higher-end consulting, or more complex projects that require creativity and problem-solving skills. This will allow them to develop new digital practices and expand your customer base.
Data collection and analysis
Data collection and analysis tools can help business leaders to get a better sense of the digital environment and improve data-driven decision-making for businesses.
Digital tools can monitor customer sentiment, advertising effectiveness, website traffic, social media conversations, and brand sentiment.
The collected data is then analysed, and insights about the customers can be identified through this process. This allows the company to create personas around customers that help them better understand their target audience’s needs.
Businesses need to have access to this sort of data in order to make good decisions based on real-time data coming from the digital world.
Benefits of investing in digital technology
In recent years, technology has been transforming the way we work. It has been reducing the distance between us and our customers, as well as allowing us to contribute from a distance. The nature of work is changing with a demand for a speedier response time and a more agile workforce.
Digital customer feedback solutions use a variety of technologies to collect data from the internet, such as social media networks, websites, and apps. These insights can help businesses improve their products and services; for example, by adjusting their features to better meet customer needs.
The biggest advantage is the reduced cost; businesses no longer need to invest in expensive hardware or software as the digital platform provides those resources for them. This frees up space in their budget for creative services or better conversion rates.
Find the right IT tools for your business
Businesses need to move fast and innovate to stay ahead of the competition. Finding the right IT tools, however, is time consuming and tricky.
Talk to the digital technology specialists at Bespoke to discover the right digital tools and applications that will improve digital agility in your business. Their IT experts understand that every business is different, and requires different solutions.
