Digitizing processes to boost business performance
Over the years, the digitization of business processes has become a major challenge for companies. Indissociable from their digital transformation imperatives, it is becoming an asset for performance and profitability.
But the digitization of business processes, contrary to what one might think, goes beyond simply putting new technologies at the service of smooth day-to-day operations. It actually implies a new internal organization, one that sometimes comes up against resistance to change on the part of teams.
So how precisely can we define the notion of process digitalization? What are the issues involved? And what steps need to be taken to implement it?
We tell you all about it.
What is process digitization?
Process digitization: definition
Process digitization is defined as the mechanisms put in place to digitize all of a company's business processes.
It is therefore part of the overall digital transformation of organizations.
Indeed, while organizations are already using new technologies to boost their sales performance and accelerate growth (by setting up a website, using a CRM, etc.), it's really the digitalization of business processes that is the key to success.), it is in fact all work processes that need to be rethought if they are to become even more competitive.
The digitization of processes therefore leads to a profound reorganization of operations and optimization of recurring task sequences, thanks to :
- predefined workflows,
- digital technologies,
- automation.
☝️ The digitization of processes affects all departments. That's why we often hear about :
- digitization of HR processes,
- accounting processes
- sales processes, etc.
We also often hear about the digitization of document processes.
Process digitization and workflows
This digitization of processes goes hand in hand with the notion of workflow.
A workflow is made up of successive steps, and implies that after one action has been completed, another must be carried out, all within a predefined timeframe. Workflows provide a framework for employees' activities, so that everyone knows exactly what needs to be done and when.
But thanks to the digitization of processes and the modeling of business processes, certain workflow tasks can now be automated using software.
Example of an order management workflow:
The challenges of digitizing processes
Supporting your digital transformation strategy
Today, companies of all sizes realize that digital transformation is inevitable if they are to remain competitive.
But simply swapping pen and paper for software is not enough to begin the digital transition. Organizations need to change the way they think, and instill this new dynamic at all levels. And business processes, still too often carried out "the old-fashioned way", are no exception to the rule.
👉 The success of a digital transformation strategy therefore involves all the company's components, each of which contributes to gaining in performance and quality.
Aligning with new ways of working
The digitization of processes seems essential in a context where new work organizations are developing, starting with telecommuting to name but one.
By digitizing processes, day-to-day operations, collaboration and communication can be streamlined, even when teams are working remotely.
Save time
Digitizing processes also guarantees productivity gains, since it means automating recurring tasks as far as possible. Employees can then concentrate on tasks with higher added value for the company...
... and for the sales relationship! For example, by shortening processing times for customer requests, organizations can improve customer satisfaction and experience.
Increase quality and safety
New technologies and optimized workflow reduce the risk of errors. And with good reason: the data circulating between the different stages of a process becomes more reliable, and is updated in real time. Repetitive tasks such as data entry and re-entry, a source of error, are avoided as far as possible.
In addition, advances in information technology and the degree of automation they enable secure companies on other levels:
- compliance with regulatory constraints,
- risk detection,
- access management, etc.
Reduce costs and generate more sales
Ultimately, thanks to :
- bandwidth savings,
- fewer costly errors,
- increasing the value of tasks performed by employees,
- and improved customer relations,
the digitization of processes contributes to the growth of corporate profitability.
How do you digitize a process? Example of a digitization project in 6 steps
1 - Define your objectives
The first step in digitizing processes is to determine the company's objectives. These may include, for example :
- increase productivity,
- improve sales volume and customer relations,
- streamlining internal communication, etc.
💡 At this stage, it's a good idea to gather feedback from your various employees. Confronted with operations on a daily basis, they are the first to be affected by this digitalization. What's more, they provide constructive feedback!
2 - Take stock of the company's situation
Once the objectives have been defined, the company takes stock of its situation. In this way, it :
- identify the business processes already in place within the organization,
- assesses the extent to which they can be digitized,
- assess whether digitization is worthwhile in terms of performance enhancement.
This stage also involves questioning the company's degree of maturity in terms of digital transformation, in order to determine where to redouble efforts to accelerate digitization.
☝️ Tools already deployed internally are no exception to this assessment. Ask yourself the right questions:
- Are they sufficient to meet objectives?
- Are they being used to their full potential?
- Should we invest in new software?
3 - Plan the process digitization project
A process digitization project is a project in its own right.
It therefore requires the appointment of a project manager. This person is responsible for drawing up a roadmap specifying :
- the priority actions to be carried out to achieve the predefined objectives (e.g. research into new software),
- the deadlines for these actions.
4 - Choosing the right tools to support change
As part of a process digitization project, the acquisition and deployment of new software depends not only on the type of solutions already in place within the company, but also on its objectives:
- CRM to improve sales relations and performance?
- Project management software to ensure the reliability of all processes associated with company projects?
- HRIS to digitize HR operations?
- BPM (business process management software) to digitize workflows and optimize business processes?
💡 That's what Iteropallows you to do , a very easy-to-use BPM designed to design, configure, automate, deploy and improve your processes in just a few clicks and with no training thanks to low-code. You can create tailor-made workflows integrating all your stakeholders, and connect the software to your existing information system for complete centralization.
The list goes on...
✅ Getting the right equipment is the first step towards fully digitizing your processes... provided you get them to talk to each other properly! And for this, there are some very easy-to-use "no code" software packages that don't require any special IT skills: EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) software, whichis very simple to use and requires no special computer skills.
Lobster_data and Lobster_pro are perfect examples. Developed for data integration and process digitization, these two all-in-one, collaborative and secure software packages help you to easily create interfaces between your systems (ERP, CRM...) and applications, and make them interact. With no programming required, and compatible with all industry standards, Lobster's solutions enable you to build your data flows and integrate your business processes in a simple, drag-and-drop way.
☝️ Electronic document management ( EDM) is an essential component of process digitization. Thanks to the resulting dematerialization and automation, it :
- optimizes the company's various operations (accounting, human resources, etc.),
- avoids the multiplication of documents and the manual tasks that go with them,
- facilitates the transmission of information, and thus communication and collaboration between teams.
🛠️ Take Nexia EDM, for example, which helps large companies dematerialize, automate and manage their processes. This easy-to-use SaaS-based solution manages, distributes and archives all corporate documentation: supplier and customer invoices, purchase orders, expense reports, incoming and outgoing mail, etc. Document searches are also facilitated by a high-performance AI-enabled search engine.
5 - Communicate and support teams
Throughout the process digitization project, it's advisable to communicate as much as possible with teams, right from the requirements gathering stage.
👉 As a reminder, they are the ones most affected by this transformation, and their feedback is of great benefit to the company.
The same applies when it comes to opting for new software. It's best to have them tested by the employees concerned, so as to gather feedback based on their actual use in day-to-day tasks.
Finally, once the new tools and processes have been deployed, it's important to provide the best possible support to teams, to minimize any resistance to change ("everything worked perfectly before, so why change?").
This involves not only communication, but also training to explain how to fully exploit the potential of the new digitized processes.
6 - Evaluate and readjust as necessary
Finally, the company must not rest on its laurels. It monitors the indicators set up beforehand to measure process efficiency: for example, time-saving metrics to determine whether teams are really saving bandwidth.
By monitoring these indicators, the organization is able to identify areas for improvement in order to fine-tune its process digitization strategy, and thus improve further.
Digitizing processes is a major undertaking which, in addition to being outside the scope of a single IT project, has a strong human dimension. The whole organization is involved, and particularly the operational teams.
☝️ For their part, senior management must prepare the ground by accompanying the change, removing obstacles and explaining the benefits to be gained.
The result: increased profitability and performance.
Article translated from French