It’s staggering just how much digital transformation is changing the way we do business.
I had the privilege of being part of Dynamics365 Saturday in Mississauga this past weekend and for the 200 participants it became very clear – if you’re not on board the train it will leave you behind.
So what’s driving the digital transformation train?
Microsoft’s Katie Cook, senior product manager for Dynamics 365 in Canada, says it’s the state of the market.
- By the year 2020 Customer experience will pass product and price as the number one differentiator.
- Productivity is in the spotlight – 40% of productivity is lost while switching between tasks.
- The speed of business is in creasing forcing everyone to rethink and reimagine their process and efficiency. The best solutions are all part of digital transformation.
Every industry is in transition. As margins get tighter and companies around us become so much more efficient in chasing opportunity, it’s critical to ask yourself how the above questions play themselves out within your business and your industry.
And, business will continue to evolve as new services, new business capabilities come on line. There is no perfect solution – there is only a perfect attitude which dictates your constant search for business efficiency and improvement.
Microsoft will call it a digital feedback loop. Think in terms of customers, products and people and how you modernize your approach, optimizing your products and services.
And there’s no better example of a business process – sales - that benefits from and is at the centre of digital transformation growing efficiency and capability. Are you capable of accessing all relevant customer data literally at your fingertips via phone or tablet? Are you in synch with your marketing department crating a streamlined and fully focused sales approach? And do you have all interactions with your customer quickly accessible to understand their needs, interests and a deep understanding of their business focus?
If you don’t someone else will – and they’ll be ready to service your customer lead or prospect faster and more efficiently than you.
Dynamics 365 Saturday is all about the Dynamics 365 business suite and the capabilities to bring digital transformation to business. It starts with your data from the critical CRM component, and is augmented by Microsoft-built capabilities and more than 1,900 apps allowing a business to build unique capability that rightly fits your business.
With sessions from tracks on functionality, technical and ecosystem, it’s a great opportunity to be updated on growth and changes to Dynamics 365 – and give you a sense on how to set your course for using Dynamics 365.
Digital transformation and products like Dynamics 365 are ever-evolving. If you aren’t in a constant mode for improvement and learning, it’s never too late to start. But be warned, do it now - the distance between your business and those fully functioning through digital transformation is widening.
Get on board the train.
Rick McCutcheon is a Dynamics Business Solutions MVP with expertise in sales process design, social selling and CRM strategies. Rick has been involved in the CRM industry since 1990 as a company founder, senior executive, reseller, industry association board member, educator consultant and professional speaker. He is the creator of the Full Contact Selling (FCS) methodology for Dynamics CRM. He can be reached at rickm@fullcontactselling.com .