If almost every food needs salt and pepper, almost every business needs online and digital. Unfortunately, many companies still associate digital and online with websites and marketing campaigns. Also, reality differs on a larger scale: digital means a way of doing things, while online is a channel of interaction. However, the two do not exclude each other and cannot be dissociated, and it’s only together that they add value to the business models, customer experiences, and business operations. Regardless of the field of activity or aspect of life, today’s society exists around these two coordinates, which companies should make the most of.
You should analyze a little the environment in which you live and try to understand the pattern: information is mainly online, shopping as well, digital services are spreading (even ghişeul.ro has more than a million users), cash payments are gradually disappearing, etc. In the last year, even business relationships have become digital, from signing contracts to events with partners. The pandemic was just a conjuncture, the real reasons are rather the changing generations and mentalities, convenience, time saving, cost reduction, etc.
From online presence to digital activity
Until not long ago, the website was like a shop window where customers could see the offer and then entered the store to buy. Today, however, the website must be the store or the company itself and be able to support any form of interaction with customers or business partners. When integrated with business applications (ERP, CRM, etc.), the website becomes an extension of the workspace. Any business website should have an e-commerce component, allow the placement of orders or automatic exchange of documents, self-service capabilities, collaboration, etc. Read more on this topic ERP eCommerce Integration, the essential condition of a modern online store.
However, we cannot talk about digitalization without considering removing paper and manual workflows which are elements that impede automation and slow down operations. And both can be eliminated by making use of technology: an integrated ERP system that centralizes all data and digitalizes operations, an EDI system that automates the exchange of information with partners, software robots that automate manual tasks, etc. In a digitalized company, the information does not remain stored in databases but is correlated, analyzed, and exploited in business relationships.
Social media will not be ignored
People live in communities, exchange ideas and experiences, and these communities are, whether we like it or not, on social media. Social media pages are just as necessary as a website. But beware, social media does not only mean information and promotion. A recent LinkedIn study shows that 70% of shoppers get information online before interacting with a supplier and that over 50% place great value on reviews and other users’ experiences, both in B2B and B2C.
Social media is a good sales channel and a very good channel for support services. The contemporary consumer wants omnichannel interaction. This does not only mean having alternatives: telephone, email, or chat, but that all communication channels are integrated and put the customer in the center of attention. For instance, a discussion started on Facebook messaging can be continued on the phone, with documents sent by email, all correlated with the CRM system where customer data is stored and updated.
What benefits are there?
Obviously, a digitalized company is more flexible and has a much greater capability to react to market changes. Think about when quarantine was imposed in 2020 and how things suddenly changed. Were you prepared, did this situation affect you? There can be other critical moments in a company’s lifetime: a change in the consumption pattern, the appearance of a competitor on the same market/niche, the loss of exclusives, key people leaving the team, a natural disaster (fire, earthquake), a cyberattack, etc. A digitalized company can quickly launch a new product, relocate its activity, approach new sales channels, automate processes for which it does not have the necessary personnel, etc. At the same time, digitalization generates lower operating costs, but also a superior experience, both for employees and customers.
How System Innovation Romania can help you in this process?
- Centralized management of the entire activity and automation of the business processes. (ERP SAP Business One system)
- Access to workflows and information about your business, sales, and customers anytime, anywhere (SAP Business One mobile applications)
- Integrate data from multiple sources, process them in real-time and turn them into business analytics (Qlik business analytics solution)
- Interconnection with business partners through self-service portals (EDI systems)
- Leverage artificial intelligence to automate tasks (hAI software robots)
These are just a few examples of technologies we have in our portfolio, but the collaboration opportunities are many more. If you want to add a little salt and pepper to your business, our consultants are at your disposal.
