Digitalisation: the economy in transition

This isn’t a phenomenon that only affects North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). It affects the whole world. Digitalisation shapes our lives more and more and is transforming our everyday lives, at home and at work. For some it’s a blessing – for those who don’t go along with the change, more of a curse. In this blog post, we use teamwork as an example to show how companies in North Rhine-Westphalia, too, can benefit in the long term from digital transformation. If you have specific questions, we’re happy to help you directly, of course.

Digitalisation and digital transformation: what’s the difference?

Before we look at what digitalisation means for efficient teamwork in a company, there’s a subtle but important distinction to make. Firstly, digitalisation itself means that documents exist in digital form and are therefore compatible with IT systems. Secondly, it means that work processes, from purchasing through logistics and warehousing to marketing, are now handled with IT support. Digital transformation means that these digital advances bring about a wide range of changes. An example from everyday life: many banks no longer have the traditional paper transfer forms. They’re being replaced by online banking. Cash payments, too, are increasingly giving way to payment by chip card or PayPal.

Teamwork is changing: off to the cloud!

In NRW, too, more and more companies use cloud services as part of their IT. Storing data in the cloud offers a range of compelling advantages. For one thing, there’s the security of the data, which is especially important today, in the era of the GDPR (the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, in force since 25 May 2018) and hacker attacks. For another, there’s convenience for the company, which can free up capacity on its in-house computers by using the cloud. The cloud offers a particularly valuable benefit for teamwork, though. With central, password-protected access to data available only to authorised employees, teams can work on projects flexibly and therefore efficiently.

Working on projects from anywhere in the world

Thanks to the cloud, where digitalisation makes it possible to use data as needed, a team member no longer has to work from their usual desk in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Each team member can now access the relevant data from anywhere, at any time of day or night. That means the boss on a business trip, the employee working out in the field or the project manager on holiday can work on the data and exchange ideas about it at any time. To make this work effectively, there are powerful software products designed for exactly this purpose, and they can contribute to digital transformation and help bring about positive changes in the modern workplace.

Digitalisation for security

Data security and privacy naturally benefit from digital change too – in very practical ways. Companies in NRW aren’t safe from data loss caused by software or hardware failures, lightning strikes or water damage. Backups can restore the data. Here, too, using the cloud is a key factor.

Digitalisation for greater customer satisfaction

Digital transformation is closely tied to winning and keeping customers. There are countless examples, from customer communication and social media to online shops. CRM (customer relationship management) software also plays an important role here. All digital elements have one thing in common: they make the customer journey more convenient, more user-friendly and more attractive for the customer. A company can offer products and services tailored to the needs of its target customers, and deliver them promptly. Digital change also lets customers interact with the company flexibly and in ways that suit their needs – easily, from their home computer or from anywhere in the world.

Getting help from experts

Small and medium-sized companies in particular often hesitate to take advantage of the benefits that digital change offers. For one thing, they’re worried about the security of their data. For another, the company lacks the know-how to manage the transformation professionally and meet the company’s specific needs. It’s therefore advisable either to bring IT expertise on board by hiring a permanent IT specialist, or to rely on the expertise of an IT services provider or of online marketing specialists. These are all investments in the future that can prove an important competitive factor and offer efficiency and the success associated with it.