Digital transformation of businesses during the Covid-19 crisis
Many businesses have had to adapt quickly in the last three months to deal with the impact of Covid-19 and lockdown, by making sure they are able to run their businesses remotely and mainly digitally by using and implementing the right kind of software.
The success stories have been those who have invested in a digital infrastructure. The shift to cloud computing, for example, has enabled many firms to be able to work remotely, without reliance on data or systems stored onsite in an office. Furthermore, as professional services firms, the operating model is typically built around mobility and flexibility, which has enabled staff to work from client sites, home or the office as needed.
As a result, for many firms, rather than building something new, the issues around lockdown focused on scaling up models from a small percentage of staff working at home at any point in time, to all employees working from home. And the technology has held up very well in this sense, helping many firms continue to operate productively.
According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella “We’ve seen more digital transformation in the last 2 months than we’ve seen in the last 2 years.”
Below we explore some of the solutions that have been applied, the risks businesses face and how to manage them as well as what the future may hold.