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Digital Transformation – Top-Down or Bottom-Up?

How No Code is more successful as a Bottom-Up approach to Digital Transformation

Blocworx No Code Platform, Digital Transformation, Digitalisation, Operation Specific Digital Transformation.

In Ireland, when people think of “Digital”, they may associated this with Automation, IOT, Industry 4.0, 5G and smart teapots.

However, more and more people are seeing Digital Transformation as another tool to assist their organisation and their operations to be more efficient.

In 2020, we partnered with Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) to provide more manufacturers the right digital tools to thrive. Since then, we have adopted the IMR mantra ‘Demystify, De-risk and Deliver’. In Blocworx, our approach to Digitalisation is very similar.

We are meeting more and more CEOs, Owners, Engineering Managers, and Quality Managers that recognise that “Digital Transformation” is similar to implementing a new process or a new service.

It takes subject expert, planning, stakeholder buy-in, a flexible, easy to use and secure robust Enterprise No Code Platform (Blocworx) to achieve this process.

We believe that every company can benefit from digitalisation. By assessing each and every process and looking for opportunities to digitalise, we will assist any company in finding savings and efficiencies. The entire company or organisation does not need to be digitalised at the same time. The smallest of projects utilising Blocworx can be the catalysts that organisations need, and as we mentioned above, can demystify digitalisation. As a result, stakeholders can see what innovative digital transformation can look like.

In an article published in the Harvard Business Review – “Digital Doesn’t Have to Be Disruptive”, Nathan Furr and Andrew Shipilov discuss the myths around Digitalisation. In the review, a senior vice president of a leading global company advised “we are going full steam on digital transformation…but no one can explain to me what it actually means”.

Our inspirational Leader, Adrian de Cléir, recently suggested “At Blocworx, we succeed when we start small. In this way, we understand the process and we can then use digitalisation to maximum advantage”.

“In addition, teaching the end-user how to use Blocworx’s no code tools has been the most successful approach for us to date” Adrian added.

In October 2020, Plutoshift surveyed 500 industrial professionals.

  • 94% of industrial professionals said their digital transformation spans most or all the company.
  • 78% revealed that as they began their digital transformation efforts, it uncovered underlying issues in the process.
  • 29% of these said their digital transformation efforts have been successful.
  • 58% said they have explored “Operation-Specific” (Bottom Up) Digital Transformation. Of that percentage, 79%  said this approach was successful or somewhat successful.

Taking a Bottom Up approach can help companies manage change more efficiently and realise ROI sooner. Directors, Managers, and Operators are proving that they should be the ones in charge of initiating change. The most effective executives are empowering professionals across the organization with the tools that can transform their day-to-day operations and generate positive outcomes.

It is clear from the above survey, and our own digitalisation experience how to avoid failure and succeed using a Bottom-Up approach.

Blocworx is a no code solution. It allows for Agile implementation where the business can build fast, fail fast and succeed fast.

We can easily show our customers how to use it as part of their Agile Digital Transformation Project team. These individuals become the implementation team for every Blocworx/Digital Transformation project.  They consist of a project leader, a topic expert, and an internal No coder (Citizen Developer).

It is this recipe for success that we are sharing across Ireland & Europe.



Author
Mark O’Sullivan, Solutions Development Manager at Blocworx
Categories
News & Press

Business & Finance Magazine: Blocworx facilitates Digitalisation in Businesses

Blocworx Business & Finance

In the latest volume of Business & Finances digital magazine ‘Workforce Evolution: The Future of Work’ Adrian de Cléir, CEO & Founder of Blocworx discusses the changing workforce dynamics with increased adoption of digital transformation platforms like Blocworx.

De Cléir notes “Digital Transformation is no longer just part of the back-office infrastructure but is driving work efficiency and effectiveness. The future of work depends on technology, leadership, and flexibility”. At a time of vast changes within the workplace environment, focus is on how to improve productivity, compliance, and increase competitiveness. These factors can significantly be improved in addition to increasing ROI”.

The latest issue, Volume 57 No.2, discusses how increased digitisation has created questions regarding the future of work. Business & Finance, Managing Director, Sarah Freeman, explains ‘With increased digital transformation, new modes of communication and an acceptance that hybrid workforces are here to stay, we’d like to recognise the herculean endeavours made in order to sustain businesses”.

Blocworx helps businesses adapt and transform their paper, processes, procedures, products, and more. This enables you not only to customise a flexible digital platform that suits you but also gives you full control and visibility of every aspect of your tasks.

You can read the full article from Business & Finance, Work Force Evolution: The Future of Work here. If your business would like to explore digital transformation, click here to try Blocworx for free today.


Blocworx Business Finance Digital Transformation
Categories
News & Press

TechCentral: Digital Transformation without needing to writing code

In its latest new story, Ireland’s technology news resource Techcentral.ie featured Blocworx innovative and disruptive approach to digital transformation.

Blocworx agile and unique software offers organisations the ability to build their own digital forms, products, procedures, and more, without needing to write code.

Blocworx client iQuTech revealed how the implementation of Blocworx has transformed its business operations and the ability to take on new business. Kieran Judge, iQuTech Operations Manager, explained how Blocworx has replaced cumbersome paperwork, Excel sheets, some legacy software, and reduced the time staff spends on administration by 30% per employee.

To find out more, read ‘Blocworx facilitates digital transformation in organisations without needing to write code‘. If your business could adopt digital transformation, try Blocworx for free today here or contact our sales team email info@blocworx.com.

Categories
Blog

4 Ways Digital Transformation Is Changing Business Management

Digital transformation Blocworx

We are in a period of massive and irreversible transformation.

Businesses in every industry are undergoing change at unprecedented speed especially as we are now in the phase of the new normal. For companies that fall behind on digital transformation, playing catch up will feel something like running after a moving train.

Until recently, all things tech-related fell on the CIO’s shoulders. Now, every aspect of business demands greater technology capabilities. This leaves digital transformation improvements in the hands of employees, supervisors, and managers to suggest digital process improvements.

Digital Transformation Defined

By definition, digital transformation is the “integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers“. While it seems like a straight forward concept, the ‘transformation’ part is key. A full-scale digital transformation can cause major disruptions in long-standing business practices and operations, and often also requires cultural changes within a company.

While there are plenty of businesses that fail to embrace digital transformation strategy and paid the ultimate price, there are just as many successful digital transformation examples worth investigating.

A few noteworthy:

  • Microsoft began its digital transformation in 2014 with the appointment of a new CEO. In the next five years, Microsoft’s stock increased a staggering 258%.
  • In 2012, Best Buy seemed to be on its last leg. But a seven-year digital transformation process brought the retailer back to life-and boosted its stock a vast 198%.
  • In December 2017, Home Depot committed more than $11 billion to a three-year digital transformation plan. In just two years, stock jumped 59% and revenues increased by almost $17billion.

Evidently, enterprises wanting to remain competitive in the digital age and beyond are investing heavily in process automation and workflow technology and transforming the role of the business manager in the process.

Digital Transformation and Business Management

Whilst digital transformation strategy starts at the front office, the manager is where the software meets the implementation, and where the changes must be made. As the chief regulator of any organisation, executives are responsible for implementing senior leadership’s vision and adopting the company’s new digital capabilities.

Blocworx Digital Transformation

From a Manager perspective, digital transformation isn’t something to be feared. Yes, it will take effort, time, and a little disruption. But it will also empower you as a manager to better manage team members, more efficiently deliver projects, and ultimately better serve your company’s customers and clients.

So how precisely is digital transformation changing the way managers perform their jobs? Let’s take a closer look!

4 Ways Digital Transformation is Changing Business Management

1. More efficient and strategic communication among teams and companies

One of the biggest areas in which modern digital technology is redesigning business management is cross-team communication.  

Traditional tools like email are cumbersome when it comes to collaboration, as they are designed for real-time dialogue. Important information is easily buried within endless email chains and constant email overload reduces productivity.

Collaborative work management software, on the other hand, allows team members and co-workers across departments to engage, connect and interact in real-time, significantly cutting down on email clutter and saving hours of time in the process. But more than just increasing the efficiency of intra-work communication, these technologies are improving its effectiveness as well.

2. More collaboration within teams and ownership from team members

Along with simplification more efficient, strategy- focused communication, modern work management technologies are making it easier for teams to truly cooperate. With the right platform in place, directors, project managers, and team members can add comments, assign tasks, organise dashboards, proof and approves assets, and handle just about everything else related to the project all in one efficient solution.

This strong level of collaboration inevitably leads to a better sense of shared ownership from colleagues and helps foster cooperative, harmonious workplaces. Workers who feel they are part of a collective effort have been shown to have greater engagement, lower fatigue, and higher success rates than those who are isolated from peers.

3. More focus on results rather than process

As digital transformation automates workflows and organises traditional manual business tasks like scheduling, managers get more time to focus on strategy optimisation and meeting business goals. In fact, it could be said that as digital transformation continues to touch companies across every industry and sector, managers will be viewed more as strategic leaders in their organisations.

With more digital tools and automated processes at their disposal, managers are narrowing in on the best way to improve procedures and their business strategies and goals while delivering more successful outcomes in the process.

4. More data-driven analytics far improves manager processes, outcomes, and ROI

Lastly, digital transformation is providing business managers the analytical technology to make data-driven decisions, break down patterns and tendencies, and ultimately enhance management outcomes and success rates. This access to detailed data also assists executives and managers in making better-informed decisions quicker and simpler than ever before.

Strong analytics reports help managers keep tasks on track and on budget with real-time cost tracking and administrators, giving them precise insights into business impact and ROI through every project and helping them plan future initiatives and make important strategic decisions.

Is Your Operation Ready for Digital Transformation?

As technology continues to advance at exponential rates, organisations must adapt to the digital environment or risk getting left behind. Change isn’t always simple, but when it comes to the success of your tasks, your team members, and your company, a small self-imposed disruption is worth it in the long run.

Remember:

Companies that implement a digital transformation strategy have been shown to increase performance and revenues.

  • As managers, digital transformation helps streamline communication, improve collaboration, and shift your focus from business process and status to strategy and outcomes.
  • Digital transformation allows team members to spend more time working in their creative zones, resulting in happier, more fulfilled, and productive employees.

To learn more about how your organisation can embrace digital transformation to become more dynamic and adaptable, try out a free trial of Blocworx today.

Author

Isobel Hogan, Marketing Executive at Blocworx