Digital transformation in the new normal
Change is now the new constant. Companies in Latin America are seeing and experiencing that what worked in the past may not provide the same results today, and probably in the future.
In this way, it is essential to know the new customer, who seeks to give continuity to his business in the face of adversity, and provide tools to his collaborators so that they can continue to work and be efficient and productive from anywhere. Now, due to circumstances beyond our control, the digital revolution is advancing at a pace we could never have expected. Yes, we could all see the potential and, to some extent, we are moving toward more agile ways of operating.
This situation today has forced companies to accelerate their approach, pushing well beyond the comfort zone. In this environment, it's still much harder to predict, but what we do know is that the new customer is much more digital, more aware and thrifty. Remember when customers had the patience to wait 48 hours for a return email, or a day for their tweet to be answered? Those days are long gone. Today's customers buy goods and services online like never before, and the expectation now is for brands to be agile, personalized and operate in a social context.
On the other hand, companies must manage today's business, but also think about what comes next. What will their customers' expectations be? What can they offer them to stay relevant and ahead of the competition? If companies can research and "test" new ways of working, new solutions or even new infrastructure, they will stay one step ahead.
Also, we have seen and witnessed that work is not where you go but what you do, and it is critical not to have stumbling blocks that hinder smooth collaboration, secure work and staying connected, therefore, enabling smart workspaces is crucial for any company to have business continuity.
According to a recent study1, 53% of companies have focused on creating remote and dynamic work models. And it makes sense. Companies will aim to continue to invest in the health and safety of their employees. In order to avoid non-essential travel and mobility, videoconferencing and collaboration systems, as well as the technologies that make up true digital work, will be indispensable for human capital to remain productive in the safest possible way, in the office or remotely.
On the other hand, in the new normal, efficiency is the cornerstone. It is important that the workforce can focus on planning and executing the activities that bring the most value to the company. To achieve this, leaders must value and rely on automation to execute repetitive tasks. Through technologies such as RPA (Robotic Process Automation), it is possible to improve critical business processes and generate fluidity and work efficiency, through the application of analytics, robotics and machine learning in the interaction with digital systems for the execution of certain business processes.
In this new business normal, RPA becomes essential to execute certain repetitive activities using an interface to capture data (structured or not), interpret it, generate responses and communicate with other systems.
Online shopping is expected to rise sharply. A study by Forbes2 reveals that, according to early statistics, Internet hits have risen by 50-70% since the World Health Organization declared the pandemic. Therefore, companies are expected to increase their digital operations, and given this context, the Click&Collect concept materialized by the smart lockers is a good alternative to carry this increase avoiding contagions, reducing physical contact between people and the agglomeration of people in a space, as eCommerce sales increase. In this way, the transfer of goods is safer, faster and more efficient for all parties, and it is possible to reach the end customer while protecting their health and well-being.
Finally, industrial companies are looking at ways to become less dependent on supply chains. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, can benefit a wide range of companies working with plastics, metals and even foodstuffs. The potential of this technology goes further, it will become part of a super-connected business system. In combination with robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3D printing can create truly special opportunities. Regarding the change in the production chains of companies, the results are fully measurable. For example, if a factory employee goes to the warehouse to order a part, the warehouse manager would traditionally look for the part in the warehouse and deliver it. What if he could tell him that in a couple of hours he could have the part created in the same factory and with the specifications he required without having it in inventory or mobilizing any logistics service? Undoubtedly, this is an example of what is already happening today with 3D printing, its applications have no limits since they are focused on a concept, not on a machine or hardware. The pandemic made many companies rethink their supply chains, and turn more to the concept of micro-factories to avoid surprises at times when the production chain is affected, even by the closure or slowness of customs due to COVID-19.
There is undoubtedly a rocky road ahead, full of challenges and challenges, but also exciting opportunities to adapt to this new business normal. There is no secret recipe or instructive, each business and sector must analyze its multiple variants to reach the best way to adapt to this new world.
