Can you imagine living without your smartphone, or without social media? Remember life before online banking, when you had to drive to the bank every time you did a financial transaction?

Today, Malaysians are blessed with an abundance of useful technological advancements. And if it is able to make life easier on a day-to-day basis, imagine what it could do for your company.

This is why business digitalisation is important. For the uninitiated, business digitalisation can be defined as the use of technology to change a business model, with the aim of providing new revenue and value-producing opportunities.

New systems are integrated into an organisation to transform the way it operates across different areas, services and channels, and with its customers and other stakeholders.

Examples of business digitalisation include physical stores selling products online, utilising chat programs over human operators for customer service, and using digital or social media instead of traditional advertising.

Here are six reasons you should adopt business digitalisation:

1. It optimises work processes

With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, many new systems and apps have been developed across various industries to reduce workloads, streamline operations, and eliminate errors.

These allow your employees to save time and energy, and focus their attention on other more pressing business tasks. As a result, productivity increases, and customer needs are handled more efficiently.

2. It improves customer experience

Digitalisation allows your business to serve customers around the clock. With online shopping, for example, you no longer have to wait for a store to open, or travel anywhere to make a purchase.

Chatbots can answer frequent customer queries, while apps can handle purchases methodically and reliably.

3. It reduces business costs

Installing specific types of software or programs can be a lot cheaper than hiring a new employee or team to handle a certain matter. Digital programs that automatically record information can reduce an organisation’s paperwork.

4. It helps your company adapt to faster, agile environments

In this age of instant gratification, quick and speedy service is in high demand. Fast food restaurants, for instance, now operate digital screens for customers to key in their orders, effectively reducing the chances of error and allowing more people to be served in less time.

Additionally, programs such as Bitrix24 and Trillo help conduct various office processes online, enabling your business to operate at near-optimum productivity levels.

5. It accommodates remote working

Thanks to the pandemic, many businesses have discovered that their operations can be conducted remotely. Many employees now prefer working from home, and business digitalisation neatly complements this.

Most digital software and apps can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, thereby reducing the need for anyone to be in the office all the time.

6. It can promote your business more efficiently

With a plethora of social media and mass communication platforms available, advertising and marketing outreach is at an unprecedented level. Many savvy businesses today have leveraged on their social media presence to attract faithful consumer bases.

In short, digitalising your company can elevate it to dizzying, unimaginable heights. Take advantage of the many technological advancements available today to achieve and exceed all your business goals.

This article was written by Terence Toh of ReSkills.com, a local online education platform aiming to make education affordable and accessible for all, based on a webinar by coach Florlynn Dela Pena.