Going digital? Get your project off on the right foot
For the last 12 weeks – possibly longer – the news has been awash with stories of how businesses need to pivot toward digital and online solutions. Solutions to education, to retail, to healthcare. Solutions to help people and organisations to work remotely, collaboratively, to get the necessary – and more – done.
What these news stories don’t necessarily tell you, is where to start. A vast number of us have become more familiar with Zoom (Friday night quiz, anyone?) but there’s more to digital enablement than simply that or Microsoft Teams!
Thankfully, it can be easier to navigate this new landscape than you might think. We’d say that the key to finding the right digital solutions for your business, is to begin by asking the right questions.
Here are some of our suggestions:
- What problem(s) are we trying to solve?
- Can our needs be met by off-the-shelf solutions?
- Which of our systems are proving the most problematic?
- Are we prepared to compromise on functionality in favour of cost or expedience?
- Are we already committed to a set of tools from a particular vendor?
- Have we set aside a budget?
- How urgently do we need a solution?
- Have we carefully assessed stakeholder requirements?
- Do our systems need to work offline (ie without an internet connection)?
- Do we need a mobile app?
- How will we measure the return on investment? (cost savings, time savings, industry recognition, compliance)?
- Can we provide an internal product owner, with a mandate to make decisions and who knows how to represent the needs of stakeholders?
Spending some time gathering your thoughts on some or all of the above, will help you to get to grips with what you do, or do not, need. This, in turn, will put you at a distinct advantage and significantly increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.
If you feel it would be helpful to be guided through the process, then it might be worth engaging with someone (like…us!) who’s well placed to do so. Our client portfolio includes individuals and organizations of all shapes and sizes, and across a vast range of industries. We understand that everyone has different needs and budgets, and we always do our utmost to ensure we only recommend systems that we truly believe will fit the bill.
We encourage you to drop us a line if anything we’ve said has had you nodding along – no pressure, just good, solid advice.