Digital Transformation Compass 2022: 3 initiatives to prioritize

The investment in digital transformation in 2021 fell short of producing the desired results and was stuck at $700 billion. The overwhelming quantity of apps in a company's tech stack, a lack of technical know-how to implement new solutions, and employee resistance to embracing new digital technologies are common causes.

What steps can you take to ensure your company gets the most out of its investment in digital transformation this year? Let's examine some of the important topics to concentrate on and the noteworthy transformational directions for 2022.

Advanced technology trends

This year's game plan is shaped by advanced technologies like edge computing, 5G, and SD-WAN.

Edge computing refers to bringing computing power closer to end consumers. The major telecom companies are implementing 5G, the next-generation broadband cellular network. With existing circuits, software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) technologies can boost performance and uptime (depending on the provider). Enhanced dependability is the outcome.

Customers benefit from all three technologies thanks to quicker, more dependable connections. Customers can then use future application technologies like driverless vehicles, robotics, and virtual reality while getting better and more dependable experiences from the old technologies.

Vehicles engaged in accidents, for instance, will be able to report the damage immediately. Actionable data will be made available by hospital monitoring in almost real-time. Sensor-equipped vehicles will let us know if we should expect a delivery immediately or in 5 minutes.

Edge computing in digital business infrastructures will become increasingly important as the amount of instantly accessible real-time data rises. Gartner projects that by 2025, edge computing will account for 75% of all business data.

CX

Over the past two years, the pandemic has been overused as a justification for subpar customer service. According to a survey conducted in the UK by the Institute of Client Service in July 2020, customer satisfaction was around 49%, the lowest level in 13 years.

Customer service is a crucial survival strategy in the commercial world of today. Projects involving digital transformation ought to put the customer experience (CX) first. By eliminating justifications and establishing the highest standards for a great customer experience, work to raise customer satisfaction ratings in 2022 considerably.

A renewed focus on providing outstanding service will be essential to preserve and expand your customer base as consumers become more informed, distrustful, and impatient. Although CX is often listed as a top priority, few companies follow through or even have plans to deliver. You can put the "customer" back into your company's customer service by offering a better CX and more openness.

An authentically customer-centric organization benefits clients by understanding them. Each discipline inside the firm is no longer operating independently but rather exchanging data, insights, and opportunities for personalization and enchantment like a relay racer handing a baton. It embraces 360-degree data, insights, processes, systems, and organizational structures to focus on the consumer. Such futuristic approaches will be required when digital markets expand and attain almost unfathomable volumes.

Cybersecurity

Businesses frequently list cybersecurity as one of their top two worries, especially those who engage in e-commerce and other digital transactions. Beyond the possibility of suffering financial and reputational harm, individuals worldwide are most afraid of being held hostage by ransomware, hackers, and data breaches.

Step up your security efforts in 2022. Endpoints (computers, servers, tablets, etc.) should be protected with more advanced EDR (endpoint detection and response) solutions rather than just installing anti-virus software. Security Event and Incident Management (SEIM) with Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring is necessary for networks.

Given the enormous number of smart gadgets in consumers' hands, hackers are constantly searching for weak points. Smart device predictive models and preemptive capabilities will require more funding, personnel, and support.