I want to digitalize my company,
where do I start?

09/06/2021
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The digital transformation of a company is a trendy expression. It covers a concept that can be quite nebulous for many. This is quite logical, as it is a multi-faceted and constantly expanding process. It can be defined as the process of integrating digital technologies into the company's activities. This process aims at improving procedures as well as products and services. Theoretically, it concerns all activities, from design to production, including financial and commercial management. In practice, the digital transformation can focus on a particular department.

Two examples of digital transformation

Airbus

Airbus, the civil aircraft manufacturing giant, is a great example of successful digital transformation. The project began with the initial idea of applying innovative technologies to both design and manufacturing. By integrating 3D printing, the company was able to begin developing aircraft parts that were improved over traditional processes. As a result, the first A350 XWB was built in 2015 with more than 1,000 3D printed parts.
Ultimately, this digital transformation results in the reduction :
  • of 90% of the raw material requirements,
  • the costs and lead times of supply,
  • production lead times,
  • 30 to 55% of the weight of aircraft parts,
  • 90% of the total energy used in production. 
In addition, the lighter weight of the aircraft makes them more fuel efficient. This digital strategy has enabled the company to focus on improving process efficiency, meeting high standards and ensuring the reliability of its aircraft. Today, it is the undisputed world leader in the sector.

General Electrics

General Electric, on the other hand, has been an enormous failure in its digital transformation attempt. Through it, GE wanted to :
  • Optimize software development capabilities through predictive analysis and machine learning;
  • Reduce operating costs and fault tolerance.
Specifically, it was about providing multiple channels and applications for consumers to interact with the company. It was also about using AI to detect customer preferences and provide value-added services on the fly. After 6 years of development, 4 billion dollars spent, GE's industrial digital platform not yet finalized, the board whistled the end of the game. According to analysts, the mistakes of GE's digital transformation were :
  • A poorly developed initial deployment plan,
  • A too quick reduction in investment in existing technologies in the company,
  • long development cycles,
  • the complexity of the designs,
  • and lack of experimentation during the project.

Is digital transformation essential for my company?

A century ago, the average lifespan of a company was about 100 years. Today, it is only 23 years.

The current digital evolution of all sectors of the economy is totally changing the ecosystem of all companies. Each of them must therefore adapt to the world around them, quickly and efficiently. If, according to the writer André Gide, "Intelligence is the ability to adapt", the reluctance to adapt to digital technology means, in a more or less short term, the sidelining and then the decline of the company: whether we like it or not, whether we understand the interest of digital technology for our business or not. Large companies or SMEs, the equation is the same.
Digital transformation allows any company to optimize its efficiency, at the strategic and productive levels. It also gives the opportunity to improve the performance of employees and the relationship with customers. However, each project is unique! It is therefore necessary to make an introspection and to ask experts to be able to answer the question objectively.

What are the main steps of the digital transformation?

This is our approach to successful digital transformation, shaped by our experience in supporting clients.

Identify a practical project

The first step is to identify the tool, the offering, and/or the process whose digital update will have the most impact on the company's performance. To learn more, please read the article on the identification of your digital transformation project.

Ideation with collaborators

Once the project is identified, it's time to involve the people who are the first to be affected by it: the employees. Find out more about the best way to design the project.

Get started by keeping it simple

We can't say it enough, you shouldn't try to transform everything at once. Here are the reasons for first choose the easiest way to reach the goal.

Case study: Moser School

The Moser School, at the forefront of digital education, called on MobileThinking to design the family space. Through a digital portal, the school wanted to offer the students' families a permanent access to their children's evolution thanks to the availability of :
  • administrative documents,
  • grades and schedules,
  • activities offered to students by the school,
  • contacts of the staff. 
Following a Design Sprint workshop, we worked with Moser's administrative and technical staff to design this tool. We then technically developed a robust, modern, user-friendly and intuitive portal that can be viewed on the full range of digital devices.
Read the full case study.

Conclusion

At MobileThinking, we are used to guiding our clients, from a wide range of fields, in their digital transformation. We can also help you with your digital transformation project. Want to know more? Download our free guidebook on the steps to take to transform your business or contact us to move forward together!