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How 2020 Is Changing the Way that Companies Approach Digital Transformation

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There is no doubt that 2020's events are sparking change for organizations that rely on IBM i systems. There are companies that will not survive the next few months and others that have gone into hibernation in hopes that they will endure. Some are thriving because they have been able to pivot to help during these challenging times.

What is Digital Transformation and why is it so critical? From discussions I’ve had with many, it seems to be a buzzword that is often related to technologies and not to something tangible, business and human-focused. Let’s look at one of the more popular definitions from leading market analysts Gartner.

“Digital Transformation can refer to anything from IT modernization (for example, cloud computing), to digital optimization, to the invention of new digital business models. The term is widely used in public-sector organizations to refer to modest initiatives such as putting services online or legacy modernization. Thus, the term is more like “digitization” than “digital business transformation.”

*Source Gartner Glossary: https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/digital-transformation

For our platform, Digital Transformation (DT) can be thought of as modernizing your AS/400 to IBM i. DT involves a change in leadership approach, different thinking, encouragement of innovation, using new business models and incorporating digitization of assets. The end goal should be to improve the experience of your organization, employees, customers, suppliers, partners and stakeholders. It is much more about focusing on the human side of how we make things better and and how we evolve as people and as companies than it is about technology. Technology enables digital transformation, but digital transformation is fundamentally not about technology.

We hear a lot of buzz around ‘digital transformation’ as a set of words. Many companies are not able to leap from thinking about technologies, to why they need to do it. In other words, to turn radical focus on our customers, into actions in the business. We need to think about doing business differently, stepping back from the technology and thinking about what we’re trying to solve and why we’re here. The ‘why‘ gives you the value so that you can choose what technologies are going to best enable you to do it.

So defining that, let’s make digital transformation a bit less nebulous and easier to understand. Think about a radical focus on customers and employees. What comes out of that is looking at how you can have a better relationship with your customer and how you make your employees happier in what they do – ultimately to create happy and productive employees that will naturally create happy and satisfied customers.

Digital Transformation is rapidly growing. IDC predicts that worldwide spending on Digital Transformation will reach $2.3 Trillion in 2023 where the figures for 2019 have already reached $1.18 trillion.
*Source: Oct 28, 2019 Worldwide Spending on Digital Transformation

Interested in reading more?  Find it at the Fresche Solutions Blog.

Christine McDowell

From applications to infrastructure, Fresche brings digital experiences to life, solving complex business problems for our customers with innovative IT solutions. Businesses across the globe rely on us to deliver value in several critical areas including: custom application development, modernization of highly valuable legacy software assets, managed services, cloud, infrastructure and expert staffing solutions.
The depth and breadth of our automated tooling, products and services for IBM i, Windows, Linux and other platforms helps organizations to reach new heights and achieve their digital aspirations to survive and thrive successfully in today’s everchanging markets. www.freschesolutions.com


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