For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n For unprepared companies, the bad news didn’t end there. Companies without strong e-commerce or digital investment strategies started losing to those with plans in place. Headlines highlighted the downfall of companies like JCPenney<\/a>, Neiman Marcus<\/a>, Cinemex Holdings<\/a>, and Pier 1<\/a> \u2014 all of which struggled to compete against digital competitors.<\/p>\n Companies that fared better are those that had already embarked on a digital transformation prior to the pandemic because they already understood that customers and employees prefer multiple channels of engagement<\/a>, including a strong, integrated digital experience.<\/p>\n Of those that started using digital channels for the very first time, 75 percent<\/a> stated they would continue to use them beyond COVID times. Customers in China permanently changed their shopping habits<\/a> after businesses reopened. Half of employees<\/a> who \u2013 for the first time \u2013 got a taste of remote work want that to be their preferred way of working moving forward.<\/p>\n The path forward is clear: to thrive, companies must transform their organization into a digital-first company.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n So, what does it mean to become a fully digital company<\/a>? A modern, digital-first organization has fully optimized their customer experience, operating model and employee experience for digital execution.<\/p>\n Such an organization designs the customer experience to maximize digital interactions for optimal touchpoints. Employees have the tools, training, supporting leadership, culture and teamwork to work from anywhere, anytime. And, in a digital-first organization, the company enables the operating model with access to all applications, makes data accessible from the cloud, automates and implements a paperless process.<\/p>\n Becoming a digital-first company affects every area of a company, starting with your company vision and strategy. Once you align your vision and strategy to doing business anywhere, you can transform the rest of your organization.<\/p>\n Specifically, you\u2019ll need to redesign six key components of your company:<\/strong><\/p>\n As customers opt to work with companies that cater to their needs digitally, you need to better engage with customers to stay relevant and gain a competitive advantage. This is ever important today, given that experiences trump products and prices or choices. Organizations need to understand, invest and optimize sales and servicing efforts to ensure long-term viability.<\/p>\n You must redesign your operating model and employee experience to deliver a digitally optimized customer experience. Your employees want to work for an engaged company that allows them to work remotely.<\/p>\n As such, you need to create an organizational design geared to maximize your internal digital footprint. At the same time, you should implement an employee listening strategy to monitor and promote trust in leadership, enabling employees to accept your new direction better.<\/p>\n Your company must establish and manage the core processes at the heart of your company through an internal and external omnichannel that allows employees to focus on value-added activities across the value stream. In digital-first companies, employees (and customers) can collaborate to get the right information in the right hands at the appropriate times.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need strong two-way communication, so every interaction is enriched with supporting information. This means aligning metrics, automated artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to help employees make informed, real-time decisions.<\/p>\n Your company infrastructure needs to be accessible and scalable, so you need to move your organization and data to the cloud. You also need the right tools and technologies to encourage collaboration and communication that allow employees to work anywhere at any time.<\/p>\n\n \n
Becoming A Digital-First Company<\/h2>\n
![\"Digital-First\"](\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/DF_Infographic_Mini_05_26_20-1024x611.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1. Customer Experience<\/a><\/h4>\n
2. People<\/a><\/h4>\n
3. Process<\/a><\/h4>\n
4. Information<\/a><\/h4>\n
5. Technology<\/a><\/h4>\n