In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment, digital transformation is no longer a buzzword but a necessity.
Companies need to adapt quickly to new technologies, customer demands and market trends to remain competitive and relevant. One of the critical components of digital transformation is cloud computing, which has revolutionised the way businesses operate and grow – unlocking the full potential of their data, people and processes.
While digital transformation isn’t a new concept, many companies still lag behind in their adoption of digital technologies and work practices. Some have not yet implemented these advancements at a large scale or established a culture that welcomes change, testing, and ongoing growth and improvement. Meanwhile, other organisations are in the planning stages for end-to-end transformations but have yet to move past the ideation phase.
Digital transformation involves using technology to reimagine and reinvent core business processes from a customer-centric and operational perspective. But more than just upgrading technical infrastructure, successful digital transformation requires a shift in mindset towards re-envisioning business strategies and value propositions. It’s very much about seeing personalised and seamless customer experiences – made possible through technologies such as big data and AI – and automating processes as crucial components to maintaining an edge in the digital economy. We recognise that digital transformation is an ongoing process that requires constant adaptation and evolution. To drive this evolution, it’s crucial to develop a clear vision for the future and gradually build the necessary technological and human capabilities to achieve it. We understand that digital evolution involves not only implementing new technologies but also fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement to keep up with the rapidly changing digital landscape.
Enabling digital evolution
BBD has a team of experts who have helped numerous businesses achieve digital transformation by leveraging cloud computing. A successful digital transformation journey includes using technology to fundamentally evolve the way businesses operate with the goal of improving efficiency, agility and competitiveness. Cloud computing is one such technology, enabling digital transformation through flexible and scalable platforms that deliver and consume technology services.
“Cloud computing enables businesses to access an unprecedented amount of data, automate processes, and innovate faster than ever before,” says Tony van der Linden, BBD’s CIO. “Digital transformation is the continuous optimisation of an organisation’s business processes to increase their digital maturity in support of their strategic alignment to customer-centric goals. At BBD, we believe that digital transformation is critical for our clients to remain competitive and relevant in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace. By leveraging digital technologies, businesses can streamline processes, improve efficiency, and create new opportunities for growth.”
Proof in the pudding: digital transformation case studies
Two examples of how we have optimised business processes for our clients to aid in digital transformation are their work for a UK-based financial services company as well as for a leading South African bank.
“Off the back of an aging system unable to cope with the current rate of scale, we stepped in to advise the UK financial company on their digital transformation journey. BBD initiated the project by assessing the client’s IT environment using a modified version of their systems health-check approach. While ongoing, we’ve collaborated closely with the client, mapping out a plan to align the transformation their legacy platforms to their business objectives” explains Van der Linden.
And as a trusted partner of a leading South African bank for over 20 years, we worked closely with the organisation’s team to build a highly scalable platform for a specific project. The AWS cloud was used to meet project requirements while ensuring excellent digital customer experiences. By leveraging our expertise in the financial services sector and AWS, we helped the bank drive innovation and digital transformation, resulting in increased efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
According to a recent study by the International Data Corporation (IDC) – a global market research and advisory firm that specialises in providing insights and analysis on the information technology and telecommunications industries – organisations that have successfully implemented digital transformation initiatives have experienced up to 2.5 times more growth in revenue, and up to two times more growth in profitability than those that have not. In addition, a study by MIT Sloan Management Review found that companies that have embraced digital transformation are 26% more profitable than their industry peers. These statistics highlight the importance of digital transformation in today’s business landscape and emphasise the need for organisations to prioritise it to remain competitive and relevant.
Benefits of migrating to the cloud
Scalability and flexibility
With cloud computing, businesses can easily scale their IT resources up or down based on demand. Cloud providers offer a range of services and pricing models that allow organisations to customise their infrastructure and only pay for what they use. This flexibility is critical for businesses that experience seasonal spikes or sudden changes in demand, ultimately allowing them to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs.
Data-driven insights
Cloud computing enables businesses to collect, store and analyse vast amounts of data from various sources, such as social media and customer interactions. This data can provide valuable insights into customer behaviour, market trends and operational efficiency, enabling organisations to gain insights, make data-driven decisions and identify new business opportunities.
Collaboration and innovation
Cloud computing allows global collaboration and innovation with flexible tools, supporting Agile and decentralised teams. Providers offer services like virtual machines, containers, and serverless architectures for speedy experimentation and deployment of new applications. Rapid resource provisioning for servers, storage, and networking is a vital benefit of cloud computing, helping companies react quickly to changes and remain competitive in the fast-paced digital world.
Security and compliance
Cloud providers invest heavily in security and compliance measures to protect their customers’ data and ensure regulatory compliance. Cloud providers offer a range of security features, such as encryption, access controls and threat detection, that help businesses safeguard their data and meet compliance requirements.
Cloud enables new business models
Cloud computing provides the ability to quickly and easily create, deploy and scale new services and applications. This allows organisations to rethink existing processes and business models from analogue to digital.
Having BBD architect, develop, deploy or even maintain your cloud services is a significant benefit as it allows companies to leverage the expertise and experience of a team that has successfully helped numerous businesses achieve digital transformation. “Our expertise in AWS and Microsoft Azure enables us to recommend the best solutions based on our clients’ specific business needs and current landscape, ensuring that they have the right cloud infrastructure and services to support their digital transformation goals. Furthermore, with our focus on security and compliance, clients have peace of mind knowing their data is protected and that they meet regulatory requirements. Working with BBD on cloud and digital transformation initiatives can help clients achieve their goals faster, more efficiently, and often with a lower total cost of ownership,” says Van der Linden.
Key takeaway
Cloud computing is a key enabler of digital transformation, providing the flexibility, scalability and agility that organisations need to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions and stay competitive in the digital age. With experience working with AWS and Microsoft Azure, BBD can recommend the best solutions based on your business needs, and help your business achieve digital transformation by leveraging the power of the cloud.
Looking for a team of experts to help your business migrate to the cloud, optimise your infrastructure, and develop new applications and services that drive innovation and growth. Reach out to the our team to unlock the full potential of the cloud and succeed in the digital age.
