Back Digitalization is not a new term in the business world, but we could learn from the year 2023 that supply chain bottlenecks, increased energy costs and the ongoing crisis in Europe are having a very strong impact on our digitalization. 2024 could be the year that German companies wake up and realize the need to consider digital transformation not just as a buzzword but as an indispensable part of their future.
Despite ubiquitous talk of progress and innovation, the current digitization index shows sobering stagnation. Especially after the pandemic years, digitization is no longer being pushed as hard. It’s time we asked ourselves why. Is it risk aversion, budget constraints, or a lack of vision for the digital future?
The consequences of lagging behind in digitization
The decline in the areas of products and skilled workers is alarming. Companies need to recognize that without a strong digital presence and qualified employees, they risk being left behind.
Recommendations for companies
- Launch an education offensive: Invest in the further training of your employees. Digital skills are the backbone of the future.
- Promote innovation: Create an innovation fund to encourage employees to develop new ideas.
- Form partnerships: Cooperate with technology companies to find customized solutions for your digital challenges. Contact us!
- Live agility: Be prepared to react quickly to changes and adapt your processes accordingly.
Digitalization as an opportunity
It is time to see digitalization for what it is: an opportunity. An opportunity to be more efficient, more customer-oriented and ultimately more successful. At the same time, it is important to create the appropriate infrastructure for existing and future employees. Digitalization enables companies to rethink their business models and break new ground. It offers the opportunity to optimize processes, reduce costs and improve the quality of services. Furthermore, companies can increase their innovative strength and gain a competitive advantage by using digital technologies.
Automation of processes and documents
Replacing repetitive tasks with good digital processes and automation does not replace the work of the individual, it promotes motivation. The time gained by employees helps companies to develop innovative solutions or to have the capacity for further training. Automation helps to minimize errors and increase accuracy. It makes it possible to process faster and more efficiently, which leads to higher customer satisfaction. In addition, automation offers better traceability and transparency, which facilitates compliance with regulations. Through automation, companies can react more flexibly to market changes and adapt their processes to new requirements.
Digitization is only the first step, and it is not enough on its own to achieve a modern and efficient way of working. It lays the foundation for further developments, but the real added value comes only from the consistent further development towards automation. A digitized document alone does not make an efficient process. It is only by automating digital processes and documents that companies can exploit the full potential of digitization. This not only enables a significant increase in efficiency, but also the release of resources that can be used for innovation and further training. The future belongs to companies that recognize and actively exploit these opportunities.
A practical example: the parking app for BASF
For us, it’s all about innovation and the practical application of digital solutions that make (working) life easier. One example of this is our parking app, which we developed specifically for BASF. The digitalization of road maps created added value through the digital process, in this case an app. Imagine arriving at a huge company campus and easily finding a parking space – that’s exactly what our Parking App enables. With real-time information on available parking spaces and intuitive navigation that works seamlessly with Google and Apple Maps, finding a parking space is easy. Read more in the Parking App Success Story.
