What is Digital Transformation?
Rory Walker, Strategic Account Director at Salesforce talks us through what Digital Transformation is, and the impact it can have on the digital world.
Why is Digital Transformation important business?
Digital transformation is essential to this new era of technology, where businesses must harness new methods to stay ahead of the competition. By reevaluating available technology and processes, businesses can appeal to more employees and customers, and can pivot a company into unexplored territory with bountiful rewards.
It may seem illogical for traditional industries to follow in the footsteps of software companies, but with the growing availability of tech in the form of smartphones and affordable computers, customers are expecting to interact more and more with digital platforms, and can become frustrated when this is not an option.
Collaboration across departments is necessary for the most effective implementation of Digital Transformation tools to ensure that philosophies and ethics are not lost within surges of growth and development.
Industry partnerships
Digital Transformation strategy
Many companies act on fear, such as to defend themselves from start-ups nipping at their heels. Such fears have been exacerbated by events, such as the eruption of COVID-19, that has inspired many businesses to look into options like curbside delivery and other contactless options to make sure their customers feel safe enough to uphold their loyalty.
More digital orientated companies looked instead to more longterm I.T. solutions, such as Cloud Computing and A.I. to streamline supply chains and efficiency within their organisations.
Digital agility is essential, if not to deal with todays problems, but to prepare for future scenarios. In time, with the continual implementation and exploration of upcoming digital tools, a business will be able to embrace the true nature of Digital Transformation, and have this vision woven into the very fibre of their model.
See below for an illustration on how a business can undergo change to reach their desired results.
The Digital Transformation journey
Business cannot succeed without customers, so we must always be looking to what best suits their needs and deliver solutions in the most efficient way. Leaders should be aware of the overall goal of what problems need to be solved, and all actions and strategy should be aligned to success, allowing the whole team to understand what is valuable to the customer and thus, the business.
Your I.T. department is able to do more than simply fix hardware and update software. I.T. brings value in the sense of proactive business solutions, and have the knowledge on how your customers interact with your online-facing systems. To make sure your online persona and back end are operating with value, I.T. should have the freedom to implement the systems to solve your business problems and deliver value for customers. More importantly, they need to have a leader that has the understanding of the ideas being communicated, to ensure that the outcome is streamlined and aligns with objectives and business goals.
Irrespective of the field of expertise, the efficiency in which Digital leaders can achieve business value is multiplied with assistance in applying digital agility. Businesses with comparable goals, ethics and values will prove as strong allies and may help to bridge gaps and blindspots during the growth stage and beyond.
With the wealth of strategies that Digital Transformation provide, many solutions can be inspired that may not have existed before. Whether that concerns blockchain for secure and permanent digital ledgers, cloud computing for enhanced accessibility and mobility, A.I. for efficiency and prediction or an understanding of digital leadership overall, Digital Transformation provides a necessary transition for businesses to operate more effectively. Customer expectations are constantly evolving, and so too should your business to meet these and future needs.
Software has become a strategic asset to business, but it's only as effective as its users. With the rapid advancement of the business landscape, employees need to be upskilled to ensure they aren't left behind. Not only will it help employees to become more valuable in the workplace, it will provide a deeper understanding that will grow appreciation for new systems, software and way of thinking being implemented, and allow them to be more agile in future change.
What roles exist in Digital Transformation?
Employees need to be across multiple digital transformation sectors if a business is to succeed in the digital sphere.
Key roles that come to mind are software engineers, cloud computing specialists, and digital product managers. However, there is a large gap in the market for the lesser-known position of 'data scientists', who have the skills to extract valuable insights from various data collections and a working knowledge on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
To complement these roles, a business looking to successfully jump aboard the Digital Transformation movement must also consider strong leadership. It's important that there are roles dedicated to oversee the digital movement to ensure smooth-sailing and intended results are achieved.
What Digital Transformation courses are available?
You can learn Digital Transformation through the courses available within our Digital Transformation Programme. We offer varied subjects designed to provide you a wide scope across multiple fields.
Our courses touch on many areas, with a strong mix of both conceptual and practical learning. You have the opportunity to learn new software implementation and strategies regarding such advancements as: A.I., Blockchain, Cloud Computing, while also developing your own skills in Leadership and understanding human-centric design.
All courses are delivered online, to ensure that you can upskill in Digital Transformation, regardless of your busy schedule.
Check out our individual programmes to see what courses are relevant for you, as each course can be taken independently too!
Qualification structure
Qualification structure
Postgraduate Certificate — 60 credits
Eight common 6-credit components; two elective 6-credit components; total of 60 credits (NZQF Level 8)
Postgraduate Diploma — 120 credits
Eight common 6-credit components; two elective 6-credit components; four common 12-credit components and one elective 12-credit component; total of 120 credits (NZQF Level 8)
Masters — 180 credits
Eight common 6-credit components; two elective 6-credit components; four common 12-credit components and one elective 12-credit component; total of 120 credits (NZQF Level 8); Plus one 60-credit component (NZQF Level 9); total of 180 credits.