“57% of business buyers will depend on companies to anticipate their needs using AI

30 % of web sessions will be done without a screen”

Sounds familiar? Yes. These are some of the rosy stats predicted by experts about the 2020 digital transformation. 

The year 2020 was supposed to be a date to look forward to. It’s something we’ve been measuring our potential for progress. What happened then?

So many people cooped at home, worried about a novel virus meanwhile trying to figure out a new way to stay relevant in the market on the back of a zoom call. There is no doubt we are going through a  dreadful couple of months. When you talk about economy, we are going through a catch 22 scenario, where the word unprecedented gets a new identity and definition.

Fun fact? We have just begun to taste the slice of normal and it’s pretty obvious that we are entering a new world order.

So, what does it mean for 2020 digital transformation?

If your business does not have an office and if your employees do not assemble under one roof in one room to work together, will your business survive?

It can and it will. That is the promise of digital transformation. Digital transformation which we looked upon as a sophisticated option restricted to the budgets and precincts of enterprises, has now become the survival mantra for all businesses. 

In a post Covid world, digital transformation would drive business growth. In fact, in the current scenario, it is the mandate for business survival.

How can Businesses Grapple to the New Normal?

There is no silver bullet to face the challenges of the new normal. Businesses have to figure out workarounds that will help them gain a solid footing in a scenario where the ground is not just moving but rattling akin to an earthquake. 

Here are some workarounds which are de facto digital transformation strategies that can help your business survive in the new normal:

Implement a BCP

A BCP (Business Continuity Plan) is a strategy or a collection of processes that are created to enable a business to get back to its foot in the event of a crisis that challenges its survival. 

The COVID-19 has forced businesses to curb manual operations. A BCP can anticipate possible scenarios like these and list down a business plan to continue operations. A crisis should not necessarily be a pandemic like the COVID-19. It can even be a natural calamity like an earthquake, floods, hurricane, and so on. Imagine a BCP to be a Plan B to save the business from getting ambushed in a crisis. 

Invest in Collaboration Tools

The biggest impact of the COVID-19 came in the form of lockdowns and work-from-home scenarios. Those businesses that had already invested in omnichannel communication and collaboration tools found themselves in the vantage to face the remote working scenario. 

According to OWLabs, in a survey of 1,239 full-time employees across the United States, at least 77% of businesses have implemented a Work From Home Protocol .

Source:OWL Labs

Virtual collaboration tools for instant messaging, voice calling, video conferencing have spiked up in demand. These tools enable a workforce that is globally scattered to unify under one virtual roof and use their resources to get things done. 

Revamp Sales and Marketing Strategy

Sales meetings. Marketing events. Global conferences. Every possible avenue that sales and marketing professionals used to leverage for lead-gen and sales pitches have shut their doors. A sales strategy that is still counting on direct in-person meetings is no longer viable. 

Sales and marketing teams have to adopt new strategies that will help them acquire leads and close deals virtually. Digital marketing which has largely been considered as an alternative channel has now come to the forefront as the mantlepiece in sales and marketing strategies. In other words, digital transformation has come to sales and marketing in the form of digital marketing.

Tighten Cybersecurity Defenses

Although 2020 digital transformation has kicked into force with a newfound momentum, its positive influence is undermined due to rampant cybersecurity attacks. 

Even tech giants like Microsoft, whose collaboration and office suite tools are used extensively by users are finding themselves at the receiving end of cybersecurity threats. 

You can be an SMB selling quirky merchandise to the millennial customer segment. Or you could be a globe-spanning enterprise that sells business software. Whatever your cause is, the COVID-19 requires your business to embrace digital transformation. It is the mandate for business survival in the COVID-19 scenario.