Best Digital Transformation Trends to Follow in 2023

In today’s post-pandemic workplace, businesses are adopting the latest digital transformation trends at a faster pace than ever.

You need to follow digital transformation trends if you want your business to prosper and stay ahead of your competitors.

According to Statista, spending on digital transformation is forecast to rise from US$1.6 trillion in 2022 to US$3.4 trillion by 2026. Even small, “non-technical” businesses must pay attention to digital transformation trends to stay in the game.

The top benefits digital transformation trends deliver are greater operational efficiency, quicker time to market and an ability to meet evolving customer expectations.

What are the best digital transformation trends to follow in 2023?

Moving into 2023, the emerging digital transformation trends centre around three main themes: letting technology do the work for you, new ways of working, and keeping it secure and green.

Letting Technology Do the Work for You

Digital transformation trends and technology can free your staff from repetitive, manual tasks, enable them to perform work that previously required hiring a developer, and solve real-world problems for you.

More automation

An example of automation digital transformation trends is using chatbots and automated text messaging programs. Technology can take care of the frequently asked questions your customers have, leaving your staff plenty of time to address more complex queries

Once you automate one simple task, you can move on to the next. Deeper deployment of automation is going to be a big digital transformation trend in 2023.

An example of a deeper deployment of automation for businesses that use Microsoft 365 is Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow).

Power Automate can improve efficiency in everyday business processes including:

• Approvals
• Reminders
• Notifications
• Compiling and storing data
• Creating flows between different applications to address your specific business requirements

By automating tasks, you and your staff are freed from performing simple and, frankly, boring tasks so you can get on with more engaging and valuable work.

Low code/no code tools

You can further automate workflow by using low code/no code tools.

No code tools do not require developer experience. They can be used by anyone to create simple automated workflows for procurement or employee leave approval processes, for example.

A good example of a no code tool that can automate and improve the efficiency of your business processes is Microsoft Power Automate.

Low code tools should be used by a professional developer. However, as they offer shortcuts, developers can avoid constantly writing simple, repetitive code and work instead on more strategic projects.

AI and machine learning

Computers are now able to perform tasks in real-world environments. They can help businesses by processing far more data than a human ever could so that you have more accurate and actionable insights on hand when it comes to decision-making.

An example is Dynamics 365 which uses AI and machine learning to turn your business data into actionable insights such as:

• Unlocking high-value clients
• Increasing cross selling
• Increasing upsells
• Reducing client attrition
• Providing opportunities to strengthen client relationships

If you’re curious to learn more about AI and machine learning, check out our article about the secret of AI and how it works.

New Ways of Working

As well as transforming the type of work we do, technology can transform how we work. Thanks to digital transformation trends, the modern office has moved beyond giant rooms full of cubicles.

Hybrid workforce

2020 proved that employees can work productively from home. Today, many organisations operate with a hybrid workforce, but this new way of working is only effective when the right technology is in place. For example, using Microsoft Teams as the productivity and communication hub for your business and with the added benefit that it integrates well with Power Automate and other Microsoft 365 technologies.

With a hybrid workforce, company meetings and other events can be held with some employees in the office, others at home and others in different time zones who’ll watch a recording later. Technology needs to work with the click of a button if you want to avoid wasting time and diminishing employee engagement.

Enabling a hybrid workforce to work and collaborate effectively and securely is one of the biggest digital transformation trends employers should consider.

Complete employee and customer experience strategies

Another digital transformation trend focuses on developing strategies to address every single interaction both employees and customers have with your organisation.

What is an employee experience strategy?

An employee experience strategy addresses all technical, cultural and physical interactions employees have with your company from their job application right through to their departure.

What is a customer experience strategy?

A customer experience (CX) strategy covers the complete experience customers have with your organisation, whether it’s pre-sales or years into a successful business relationship.

Employee and CX strategies place the employee and the customer at the heart of everything your organisation does. And with that comes engagement, good relationships and profitability.

Good employee and CX strategies are not stagnant “one and done” plans – they need to constantly adapt to the changing technology and world your organisation, employees and customers operate in.

Everything as a service model

Like experience strategies, adopting an everything-as-a-service model will address more, if not all, of your employees’ and customers’ needs.  

XaaS incorporates software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, and more.

Keeping it Secure and Green

With a distributed workforce and so much new technology, cybersecurity and environmental digital transformation trends need to be carefully considered.

Cybersecurity

Security is one of the important things to consider when it comes to your business website. Read more about website security and other things you can’t afford to ignore when it comes to your website here.

However, cybersecurity extends beyond your website and needs to apply to every aspect of your organisation. Any technology you use that handles data needs to be part of a cybersecurity program that keeps your business safe and secure.

Eco-friendly IT investments

Eco-friendly technology (sometimes called clean technology, green technology or environmental technology) is an early-stage digital transformation trend that can reduce your operating costs, increase your reputation in the community and keep the environment clean.

Examples of eco-friendly technology you could consider adopting include solar-powered lighting and data centres powered by renewable energy, temperature control, equipment made of materials like biodegradable plastic, or digital platforms that eliminate the need for paper and stationery.

The low code/no code tools we mentioned earlier and electronic agreement management tools like DocuSign, Rmail and many others are good examples of technology that can create paperless processes in your organisation.

Are you keen to get on board with the latest digital transformation trends?

By getting in early with emerging digital transformation trends, you’ll find yourself far ahead of your competitors.

If you have already started your digital transformation journey, read 4 reasons your digital transformation hasn’t reached its full potential to avoid common pitfalls.

Or why not have a chat with Panoceanic to learn how we can help you use technology to transform your business?