When the WHO announced the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus as a pandemic, no one thought that it would reveal the weakness of the conventional order of the society. But here we are anyway.
With everything closed, people having to stay at home, and the supply chain majorly disruptive, there are many questions being asked. The first and foremost of them being- how can any industry recover from the damages done by the pandemic?
There are other questions being asked as well, such as how to prepare for another disruption such as this pandemic, how to cut down extra costs till the business has finally recovered, etc. And not so strangely enough, the answer to all these questions is – digital business transformation.
At this point, it is actually a no-brainer. The speed with which technology is evolving and newer solutions being invented every day, digital transformation can and will be the only chance of survival for any industry. And just as COVID-19 pandemic is exposing the weakness in the traditional system, it is also supporting the industries to embrace digital transformation at a faster rate.
Its the time for action, not debate
The matter of digital transformation in different industries has been the topic of debate for a long time. And just like any debate, there have been many back and forth between the two groups about the effectivity of digital transformation and whether it will actually help. But this pandemic has finally shown us that right now, is the time of action.
Instead of talking and planning about transforming the industry digitally, it is time to implement those plans. The main reason for the delay in digitally transforming industries is not just a problem with legacy systems or a lack of skilled people.
It is also the sheer size of the project. The transformation of major organisations is going to take a long time. But if the pandemic has exposed anything, then it is the need to transform the industry “T minus ten minutes” from now.
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Different industries and their digital future- what can happen?
After discussing the urgency of the digital business transformation it’s time to look at a few major industries and what can happen when they finally finish transforming into digital.
Manufacturing and supply-chain: first ones in line for digital transformation
Undoubtedly, the manufacturing and supply-chain industry need a technological revolution more than any other industry.
Despite the warp speed of digital advancements, the manufacturing and the supply-chain industry is still stuck with its legacy systems and old traditional ways of doing things. And this will soon become the downfall of the industry. The pandemic has revealed the weakness of the industry and its traditional workflow. Now it’s just a matter of time to recognise the faultlines and start mending them with Digital transformation.
However, the slowdown of the digital transformation is not without reason. The sheer size of the project can be daunting. And for a complete transformation, the technology has to be more accessible than it was a few years ago. But hopefully, in the post-COVID-19 scenario, the supply-chain industry, and manufacturing will have better chances of speeding up the process of digital transformation.
Healthcare will move forward by going digital
Healthcare has already embraced digital transformation and the benefits come with it. In fact, it is one of the prime examples of how digitalisation transforms industries. And in the post-COVID-19 scenario, it is expected of this specific industry to go farther in the digital landscape than any other industry.
Scientists and doctors are already using digital solutions to diagnose and treat patients, research medicines, and provide telehealth services to those with ordinary ailments. But in the future, we can expect these practices to go farther. Through AI imaging medical professionals can supply a perfect diagnosis for chronic diseases, and save thousands of lives. There is however one little catch.
Whatever the effects of technological transformation we are seeing in the healthcare industry are severely limited. Many areas do not even have the equipment, training, or structure in place to actually benefit from these ‘Digital transformation’ fixes. And that’s why in the new norm where we might have to start living with COVID-19 till a vaccination is invented, these digital transformation solutions need to be spread out wide into the more remote areas in the world.
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Education will soon go ‘officially’ digital
While digital transformation in this industry has been happening slowly, not one took it seriously. Sure having an online learning management system was a neat little addition to the industry, but it was not that important, till the pandemic hit. And now, every educational industry is leaning towards the technological transformation that is no doubt going to revolutionise education.
Imagine a world where true education is accessible by anyone from anywhere! A free world of education where even people with familial obligation can access the kind of education they want easily. That is the world we will be living in once the education industry goes ‘officially digital’ in the post-pandemic time. The digital classroom will create a more independent campus for both students and teachers to communicate without any fuss, eventually leading to a better education industry once the pandemic is over.
Are we looking towards a digital future?
As a matter of fact, we are. Soon enough we are going to be entering a future where every business-related question can be answered with digital transformation. Now a lot of people might argue that the digital transformation across various industries might be the death of originality and imagination.
And it is, in fact, a valid point. This is why the digital transformation we need has to balance between machine intelligence and human imagination. In a post-COVID-19 era, survival will be only possible through the complete balanced digital transformation.
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