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Digital transformation Evolution in 2017

Without a doubt, enterprises that have digital DNA embedded in them have turned out to be winners in the past year. However, the pace of transformative changes will continue to sweep the market and only the toughest and the most ‘digital’ will survive the onslaught. The new year is expected to bring a barrage of technological threats, such as IoT, AI, VR, Big Data etc.

I strongly opine that any successful organization in 2017 will need to critically think about a collaborative approach, decisive planning and touching the lives of every single employee.

Digital transformation has become the heart of modern business strategy and unless you are not able to recognize the impact and willing to do something about it, you may have to face the brunt. To help you stay afloat, here are some of the top trends expected in 2017:

Adaptability to change will decide winners

Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most adaptable to change.”

Enterprises have survived not just because of the modern technology but how they adopted and incorporated it into each level of their departments and operations. The same principle drives digital transformation. It is not just about modern approach or planning and strategies but also about how easily organizations merge and embrace the technologies.

A holistic focus on user experience

Customer experience has been the benchmark for the growth of every business. The recent trends have shown that users have become super cautious and they don’t entertain any brands which does not match up to their expectations. Uber is a case in point.

And that is why an outstanding user experience is a crying need for success of any application development project. Digital transformation will give firms an opportunity to connect with such users anywhere anytime. For instance, there will be better tools for entrepreneurs like analytics to check what grabs the attention of user such as a blog or some social media platform.

This will help CIOs evaluate and streamline every touch point by removing the factors causing resistance in the process and enhance the experience at every touchpoint.

Quick innovation

With firms embracing new technologies with each passing day, the need for new innovative ideas have certainly grown like never before. But technologies don’t just need to be incorporated or adopted, they need to be analyzed quickly as well. Because the sooner firms today comprehend that a new project will nose-dive, the quicker they can mend things on time.

The coming year will witness a constant need among firms to adopt and excel at implementing ideas quickly else they will face the heat of the competition. There will be projects which will challenge the adaptive approach of the organization and its people but the speedy and prompt adoption of such strategies and planning will only win the final game.

The dawn of augmented and virtual reality

Augmented and virtual reality were the talk of town in 2016 and will remain in 2017 as well. Earlier only gaming was taking the advantage of this technology and evolved drastically. But the mobile apps like Pokémon GO have illustrated the importance of AR & VR.

There seems to be an increase in the shift towards embedding of VR and AR in every aspect of business. This approach will help enterprises achieve their aim of connecting with their audience by streamlining the interaction process. Moreover, there could be transformation of workplaces in future by including gamification strategies for improvement of employee experience and retention rate.

Application program interface

Just like any new technology, digital transformation needs an ecosystem which is capable to merge different platforms. Because for any new technology to flourish, it is not possible to rely solely on a single platform. APIs help organizations explore more than one platform which throws the door open to vast opportunities. APIs have emerged as potent weapon for organizations to piece together best of technologies without having to depend on one particular platform. This augurs well in terms of enhancing user experience and staying cost effective at the same time.

The explosion of big data and analytics

Any business accumulates large amount of data over a period of time but few know how to use it to their advantage. Emerging technologies have brought analytics to the fore which has enabled organizations to mine their data effectively and extract critical information out of it. Digital transformation can unlock this potential and drive business by showing who your customers are, what are their behavior patterns, what is their profitability. There will be an increase in the usage of big data and analytics for decision making for overall improvement.

Internet of things (IoT)

The marketing of any product is about understanding customers and delivering a top-notch experience to them. Though data analytics will provide insights to predict customers better, IoT can offer insights that are far more detailed and actionable. There are transformations happening by creating efficient cities and companies.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

There was a time when artificial intelligence was only a work of fiction. But the once distant dream has now turned into reality. Technology experts have kept working on making machines adapt our ecosystems since a long time and have excelled.

Initially AI was invented with the aim of eliminating low skill jobs but it will not just be limited to it. The future may witness the scenarios where artificial intelligence will collaborate with human professionals to solve some of the most complex problems as well. AI is expected to become the most potent force in the IT industry.

Breaking down silos

There is a rise in awareness of digital transformation and it is evident from the fact that there are more positions for the role of chief digital officers. Organizations today seem to breakthrough with the help of digital transformation not just at technical level but at intricate level as well. Breaking down silos is going to stop businesses from suffering and offer more opportunities to incorporate innovative ideas.

The article was originally published on Cygnet Infotech Blog

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nimesh Satikunvar .