What is digital transformation, and what level of tech expertise do companies need to make it happen?
Digital transformation is a catch-all term for the steady, ongoing work organizations must do to modernize their products, services, and operations to meet continuously evolving market demands. These demands come from many sources—clients, partners, employees, government regulations, social and political movements, the environment, etc.—and shape how businesses engage to succeed and grow. Successful digital transformation is a delicate balancing act between what’s possible and what’s effective, what’s necessary and what’s desirable.
The What, Why & How
The core components of digital transformation are broadly encompassed by strategy and technology. Or, to put it more plainly, the “what,” “why,” and “how.” Without a strategic understanding of what you want to build and why, any other discussion or planning is ineffective. The how should flow from and be guided by specific, high-level roadmaps that define your target audience or end-user, desired business outcomes, and long-term impact. Only then will a technical team be able to build effective solutions designed with those goals in mind.
When it comes down to it, you know your business better than anyone. You have all the insight and expertise to determine what you want to change and why. You may also be working with a team of strategy experts who can help you uncover your core needs and opportunities in the context of your industry. Once your purpose and priorities are clear, a technical team can create and execute a bespoke solution.
Technical solutions for large digital transformation projects often involve many moving parts— cloud platforms, legacy systems, applications, partners—you name it. You may be working with multiple partners in multiple stages to execute a complex transformation project. Plus, everything you build needs to interact with other systems and applications, which can be at different stages of transformation and capability. Effective (and future-proof) solutions require a broad view of your business’s entire technology stack and landscape and must be designed with integration and compatibility in mind.
Salesforce Can Do It All
Salesforce is an incredibly adaptable platform that can meet all of those requirements (and more), which is why we’ve specialized in it at CodeScience. We got our start building commercial applications for the Salesforce AppExchange, where we developed deep experience and expertise in designing platform-worthy products that helped accelerate the growth of Salesforce’s now multi-billion dollar ecosystem. Today, we continue to design commercial products but also apply those same skills to digital transformation projects. We use this people-centered product approach to create bespoke solutions that help enterprises realize their ultimate strategic vision and remain competitive in today’s digital world.
Beyond the promise of Salesforce’s technology is the strategic and technological expertise businesses need to solve complex challenges—that’s where working with the right partner is essential. Multidimensional digital transformation projects often need deep discovery and architectural design with experts who understand the nuances of the technology (and how people like to use it) to create and implement flexible, scalable solutions. These experts can translate strategic goals into technical requirements and build commercial-grade applications for repeated use inside the organization and any of its partner networks or distribution chains.
Custom Solutions Designed for Scale
For example, at CodeScience, we recently built a custom Salesforce solution for a dialysis company to help them manage over 3,000 healthcare clinics. Before working with us, they engaged a traditional system integrator (SI) firm that built a custom solution but didn’t go deep enough to deliver the right structural transformation, so the company quickly ran into scaling problems when distributing the package to their clinics. Our team diagnosed the issues and rebuilt the solution using a custom application that the company can roll out across all 3,000 clinics—and every new clinic they open after go-live.
Effective digital transformation also requires a partner who knows how to match your pace while keeping forward momentum. By working on the solution in the context of your business and how you prefer to operate, our team integrates with yours to co-create and collaborate. This drives progress and next-level efficiency by developing a unique rhythm that adjusts to your speed and a blended team that understands the needs and nuances of your organization.
Our CodeScientists look beyond the basic requirements to understand the problem in the context of today’s needs and tomorrow’s innovation. We don’t just design for the “right now” — we look to the future to build flexibility into the solution and ensure it remains adaptable for ongoing innovation and growth. Work with us to accelerate your Salesforce innovation roadmap and create solutions that won’t stall or get weighed down by technical debt. Leverage our expertise and knowledge of the entire Salesforce lifecycle, and let’s build a clear path through the maze together.
If your company has a vision for digital transformation but needs help with the technical execution—the how—get in touch with our team of Salesforce experts.
