Last updated October 25, 2022
Across the globe, businesses have been in a non-stop digital transformation since 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, organizations of all sizes, locations, and industries had to shift into survival mode.
Processes were overhauled, paper was halted, and employees quickly shifted to working from home. While 2020 was a year of upheaval, 2021 was a year of implementation, and 2022 focused on optimization and improvement.
Organizations have taken the time recently to optimize the new systems, processes, and tools they add in 2020 and 2021. It’s clear that we cannot go back to the ways we performed work pre-pandemic. Regardless of industry, location, sector, or role, our workplaces, customer expectations, and tools have drastically changed for good.
Although we’ve seen radical changes in digitization within the past two years, there’s still so much more to come. Here is what digitization experts from across industries have to say about what 2023 will hold.
That’s practically genius! Below is just a snapshot of some of the information panelists shared during our Practically Genius event. Register now to unlock all the content!
No-Code Will Rule
Have you heard about no-code tools? If not, you’re not alone: our No-Code Economy Survey revealed 82% of people are unfamiliar with the term no-code.
No-code tools are any type of software, system, or product that allows the user to build a solution without needing to know any code. From building websites and apps to creating digital workflows and paperless processes, no-code tools make it extremely quick and easy to develop your own solutions.
No-code was brought up across all of our Practically Genius panels as a must-have for 2023. Why? Because it empowers employees to build what they need, from new processes and workflows to full-on apps, without needing to know a single line of code.
During “The Transformative Power of Automation in Financial Services” panel, David Taliaferro, Co-Founder and CEO of Lenderfit, explained that “no-code is really allowing teams that are providing solutions to be able to respond faster with more precise customizations at a lower cost.”
In panel after panel, experts agreed that no-code tools are the way of the future due to their accessibility, ease of use, and low cost. If your organization has yet to investigate the power of no-code, you need to put it high on your 2023 priorities list.
Learn More: What no-code tools should you add to your tech stack in 2023? Check out this list of the 41 most popular no-code tools to get inspired.
Data Must be Consolidated
Data has become easily available in 2022, but it’s also become increasingly chaotic.
With so many different tools running across departments and teams, it’s no surprise that organizations are becoming overwhelmed with data.
When there’s no structure to the flow of data or one centralized data depository, teams are unable to see the complete picture. This can lead to dangerous data silos that can poorly impact productivity, innovation, and accuracy. Oftentimes, manual data entry is needed to compile data together, which wastes time and creates errors.
Aaron Oplinger, Group Product Manager at NCR, recommends that organizations find a way to better consolidate data in 2023. When organizations instill a single source of truth for their data, teams can work much more effectively. It also ensures data is clean and free of manual errors.
Digital Front Doors Are Necessary
Now more than ever, customers expect your business to be digital. If consumers run into issues when trying to engage with your business online, they’re likely to bolt and never return.
As Arun Bodhwani, Head of Patient Experience at Cortica Care, pointed out during the “Healthcare: Reimagining Your Digital Front Door” panel, “patients want frictionless experiences.”
Yet his statement is true across all industries, not just healthcare. Consumers have rapidly adopted a digital-first lifestyle that requires businesses to keep up. From financial services to healthcare, consumers are no longer willing to settle for paper processes, outdated communications, and complicated systems.
Instead, they’re looking for:
- Paperless onboarding
- Rapid communication
- Online payments
- Digital bookings
- Single-channel interactions
Digitization is the way to achieve all of the above. Organizations that choose to prioritize creating a digital front door will win more customers, while those who lag behind will begin to see their customers walk away.
Processes Need to be Overhauled
Digitization cannot fix a process that is broken at its core.
If the basic building blocks of a system, process, or workflow are fundamentally flawed, then digitizing the process won’t be much help. Geshri Gunasekera, VP of Education Cloud Industry Solutions at Salesforce, drives this point home during the "How Data and Technology Will Drive the Future of Higher Education" panel:
Oftentimes, adding technology to a process acts more like a bandaid to a problem versus an actual fix. This has been quite a common issue coming off of 2020, when many organizations had to rapidly deploy digital tools and solutions without much preparation. Geshri’s message to organizations is to use 2023 as a gateway for reimagining how you get work done.
Listen Now: Learn how to use digitization to improve processes, break down complexity, and support innovation in the Ripple Effect podcast episode Simplifying Processes in the Digital Age.
Welcoming Digitization in 2023
If one thing was made clear during Practically Genius, it’s that digitization can be incredibly powerful when used correctly. We hope the takeaways above help you prepare to use digitization in great ways during 2023.
Our experts have even more to share on the many intricacies of digitization, handling change management, and meeting the expectations of your customers. Watch all of our Practically Genius sessions now at practicallygenius.com.
