Hardwood Floors August/September 2018

Preparing for Digital Transformation (Continued)

In the coming years, automation will transform the workplace even further and free employees from the burden of administration. is is a good thing – it means salespeople will be able to prioritize work such as building customer relationships, promoting your company’s brand, reassessing pricing structures, and closing deals to hit targets. E-commerce Another piece of research from sales-i looked at major trends in product manufacturing and distribution. It found that 61 percent of those in the industry see automation as an opportunity, and 70 percent said the same of e-commerce. However, the rest are either ambivalent or openly view these innovations as a threat to their current ways of working. It’s encouraging that respondents are seeking to take advantage of the expanded reach that digital sales channels can o er. is is particularly relevant for ooring materials suppliers, who can leverage e-commerce to reach the right companies. ey are also taking advantage of a wide range of so ware systems and apps. According to our research, the most common areas in which supply chain companies are deploying so ware systems to boost performance and e ciency are sales and marketing. Technology is critical to making sure that these departments succeed. Possible barriers to new technology adoption Most sales and marketing teams will happily and readily acknowledge the importance of data and are happy to make use of insights. However, they can o en treat it as if it’s the sole responsibility of the information technology department. On the

contrary, data governance should involve every department that has contact with customers in some shape or form: sales, marketing, customer service, and operations being only the most obvious. Other barriers to new technology adoption include a lack of awareness and resistance to change. In our experience, this can easily be defeated with some awareness campaigns and education across the company. Once teams are taught about the ways that technology can improve their productivity – and shown that the technology will not replace them in their jobs – they are much more enthusiastic. How to encourage a more data-driven and tech-minded culture amongst your staff Encouraging sta to adopt new ways of working can be tough. But if they don’t, they could hold your business back from growing, so it’s important that they get on board. One way to do this is by building a tech roadmap for the entire organization. (See graphic on the le .) By involving sta in technology adoption, they can assume a great level of ownership over the process, which in turn encourages feedback and helps to manage their expectations. User training and mentorship schemes can also go a long way to help sta feel more familiar and comfortable with using the technology. All companies have something to gain by embracing digital transformation. It’s time to spread that message across all departments to get them excited about it. Kevin McGirl is the President of sales-i. To learn more about sales-i, visit sales-i.com.

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN BUILDING YOUR TECH ROADMAP

An understanding of your current situation and how you aim to improve it with technology.

An understanding of technology and IT infrastructure that you will need to put in place to achieve your goals.

An understanding of whom within your organization will have a stake in the implementation process, and how they will achieve their specific objectives.

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