New technologies ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to robotics to 3D printing have changed many businesses’ operations. Internal processes for designing and manufacturing have changed, as have the ways that products and services are delivered to customers. This is where digital transformation companies come in.
Advanced technology has made digital transformation initiatives possible and lucrative for businesses across a wide range of industries. While digital transformation journeys can provide huge payoffs, they may be difficult to implement — especially since you want to maintain product quality, consistent branding, and strong customer experiences.
Here, we’ll discuss the best digital transformation companies to consider, including digital transformation consulting firms and cutting-edge tech providers, and we’ll share some tips for creating a lasting impact.
The Importance of Digital Transformation
Companies that are successfully investing in modernization with digital technologies — whether that includes cloud computing or the Internet of Things — can see significant impacts on their business.
With more companies seeking to create disruptions through digital transformation, outdated legacy systems won’t cut it anymore just because they technically work. The goal isn’t just to make one aspect of a business, like digital marketing, more effective; it’s to completely shift operational processes, product development, and the customer experience.
Companies investing in digital advancements may take advantage of the following benefits.
Increased efficiency
Digital technology can help you automate business processes and workflows. Automation can reduce inevitable errors with manual work and significantly improve productivity. Since you can reduce the amount of time your employees spend on repetitive tasks and increase efficiency, these solutions are often cost-effective, too.
Enhanced customer experience
Increasingly advanced customer experience technology can help brands offer more personalized experiences at every stage of the buying cycle.
For example, sales teams can leverage machine learning to make better product recommendations or stronger offers to potential customers.
Similarly, support agents can use digital customer experience tools and integrations to deliver an omnichannel experience with personalized solutions based on each consumer’s past relationship with your business.
Personalization means a better user experience and improved customer satisfaction and allows you to build the kind of loyalty that improves retention rates.
Data-driven decision-making
You can take advantage of detailed data insights to optimize your operations and identify new opportunities for business growth. Machine learning and cloud computing are two digital solutions that can help you gather and analyze data, gaining new and actionable insights in real time for improved decision-making.
New revenue streams
As you develop innovative products and services, you can tap into emerging markets and set yourself apart from your competition. We live in an increasingly digital world, so leverage technological advancements to think outside the box.
Operational agility
Technology doesn’t just make it possible to create new products or processes; it can also enable you to adapt more swiftly to changing market conditions — including customer demands.
For example, it may take less time to implement and automate business changes, and the ability to use AI and 3D printing can streamline prototype production and market testing on everything from new packaging to new cars.
What to Look for in a Digital Transformation Company
We’ll discuss two types of businesses in this post: digital transformation consulting companies and digital transformation technology providers. The former can help you develop a digital transformation strategy, and the latter offers tools for your tech stack that can help you implement that strategy.
When selecting providers and consultants, it’s important to consider several key criteria.
Expertise
Digital transformation companies should have specialized knowledge and experience in digital technologies and their applications across various industries. This may include both technical and strategic knowledge.
For example, custom application development may require a DevOps team for software development and implementation.
It’s also important to understand how to change processes or digitize the customer experience without sacrificing the heart of your company.
For example, AI-powered chatbots for high-performance teams are powerful self-service tools to help customers get quick answers to easy questions but shouldn’t replace human support agents, who are needed for more complex or sensitive issues.
Finally, digital transformation companies should have the experience needed to optimize resource allocation, making it easier for you to achieve a return on your investment.
Resources
The company you choose should have the necessary tools, platforms, and infrastructure to support the transformation process as laid out by your digital strategy. This may also include having enough employees to work with your business or giving you referrals to other providers as needed.
Scalability
Scalability is particularly important when evaluating different digital transformation providers. Good providers should be able to grow with your business as it evolves.
For example, consider a digital communication platform. You may only offer phone and email support but realize that you need basic live chat and social media support, too.
When your business grows, you may decide to leverage AI-powered live chat or advanced features like canned responses. When that time comes, you won’t want to have to find, onboard, and adopt a new provider, so consider scalability in bandwidth and features now.
To stay on top of evolving trends, look for a provider that consistently invests in upgrading its own features.
Business goal alignment
Any consultant helping you develop a digital transformation strategy must understand your business objectives (and your overall industry) so they can help tailor solutions accordingly.
For example, some businesses may want to improve their work processes to reduce costs, while others may want to shift their operations to focus on enhancing sustainability or digitizing the customer experience.
Risk mitigation
Reputable providers can help you identify and manage potential risks during your transformation. Depending on what it entails, you may face the following risks:
- New cybersecurity threats from altered digital experiences or tools
- Unwanted shifts in your company culture or brand
- Declining quality if your company is too reliant on automation or subpar technology
- Legal risks that come with emerging technology, potentially including copyright concerns
Support
Reliable customer support is essential for the development, implementation, and ongoing execution of smooth transformation journeys. Ensure that you’ll be able to get prompt and thorough support to resolve any issues that arise.
Top Digital Transformation Companies
When you want your organization to undergo significant change, you may consider working with digital transformation consultancies. These companies are deeply experienced in helping businesses leverage digital innovation and are cognizant of the challenges that could occur.
Each digital transformation company has a unique combination of experience and specialties, and some firms may work with particular industries or types of businesses. For example, a small SaaS startup will likely work with a different consulting company than a large enterprise would.
Let’s look at the top digital transformation consulting firms and the clients they serve.
1. Accenture
Accenture is known for its deep industry expertise and focus on digital innovation. The firm has a full suite of digital transformation services, including cloud migration, AI, and cybersecurity offerings. It’s particularly well established in the financial services and healthcare sectors but also serves diverse industries like retail and natural resources and works with government organizations.
2. McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company is a global management consultancy that’s renowned for its strategic consulting and problem-solving capabilities. It focuses on developing digital business models and facilitating organizational transformation and brings in-depth industry knowledge and global reach to the table.
3. Deloitte
Deloitte provides a comprehensive suite of digital transformation services, ranging from strategy development to implementation. If you want a consulting company that can provide in-house solutions that include auditing, risk assessment, and legal strategy, this firm is a good option to consider. It has a strong hold on the technology and finance sectors, with a particular focus on data analytics and automation.
4. PwC
PwC works with clients who are just starting on their digital transformation journey as well as those who are well underway. The firm offers extensive services to help businesses harness financial transformation, data and analytics, generative AI, sustainability, digital banking, workforce transformation, and more.
5. Bain & Company
Bain & Company worked closely with the World Economic Forum and senior executives from dozens of global businesses to develop an end-to-end approach to digital transformation. The firm’s offerings include holistic digital transformation strategies that consider the customer experience, guidance on digital marketing optimization and digital procurement, and a MoneyMap℠ that identifies profitable opportunities.
6. Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group seeks to blend human capabilities and digital tech for improved digital transformation. Before implementing a new business strategy, the firm ensures that your company’s leadership is committed to carrying it out. This consultant helps organizations adopt agile mindsets and track progress while implementing data-led initiatives.
Top Digital Transformation Providers
Business transformation can move fast in the digital age, but the good news is that there is plenty of tech that can help you keep up. Let’s look at some of the top digital transformation service providers that can get you started with your digital customer experience strategy.
1. Nextiva
Nextiva is a business communication platform with a robust feature set that includes voice, video conferencing, team messaging, and contact center solutions. Nextiva has incredible scalability potential to accommodate companies of all sizes and integration capabilities with other essential business applications like CRM software.
Nextiva has a clear focus on customer experience and improved support and offers features that enhance workforce optimization, too, all of which are easily accessible courtesy of the reach that comes with cloud services.
Consequently, Nextiva enables remote and hybrid workforces by supporting seamless communication across multiple channels. Its advanced contact center features can improve customer engagement and satisfaction. This results in greater employee productivity and collaboration, lower communication costs, and reduced system complexity.
2. HubSpot
HubSpot offers inbound marketing and sales software, including a powerful CRM platform, that’s incredibly popular for growing businesses. This digital transformation provider has extensive automation features that streamline sales, marketing, and support tasks.
Sales and support staff can see detailed information on each customer, including recent interactions and past purchases, to offer better support at every step of the sales journey. Advanced features automate workflows to improve team productivity and task efficiency.
3. Zoho
Zoho provides a comprehensive suite of business applications, including CRM, HR, and finance tools, for brands of all sizes. The platform can provide a single operating system for your entire company, allowing you to take significant steps in your digital transformation journey with just one tool.
4. Slack
In today’s digital era, instant communication is a must-have for many teams. Slack is a leading team communication platform that allows for easy collaboration between internal workers and external vendors. Slack has strong access management and file-sharing features and is often integrated into wider digital workplace strategies.
While Slack is highly effective, some businesses prefer to use a single platform like Nextiva for both internal and external communication.
5. Twilio
Twilio is a communications platform as a service provider that builds SMS, voice, and video applications. It offers secure business communications that include user verification features to detect and prevent fraud. Twilio works with clients across a wide range of industries, including retail and real estate, and in the public sector.
6. Stripe
Stripe is one of the most popular payment processing platforms for online businesses, and it has become essential in today’s digital landscape. Companies that use it can easily accept credit card payments with both online checkouts and in-store mobile app attachments.
Stripe also offers additional features like prebuilt payment forms and checkout processes to help businesses offer more (and better) online payment options.
7. UiPath
UiPath is a robotic process automation platform that can help businesses automate repetitive tasks. This provider offers low-code development and API automation to build complex automation faster with the help of prebuilt components, triggers, and templates.
Many businesses need the option to create or customize automation to align with their workflows, and UiPath’s products can be game-changing for them.
How to Make Digital Transformation Stick
Digital transformation can be difficult to implement and maintain. Here are some tips that will help you succeed:
- Clear vision and strategy: Define clear goals and objectives to create your road map for digital transformation.
- Leadership buy-in: Secure strong support from top management to drive transformation efforts, including fostering a culture of innovation, experimentation, and adaptability.
- Employee empowerment: Equip employees with the necessary skills and tools to embrace process and tech change.
- Data accessibility: Utilize data analytics to inform strategic decisions, measure progress, and promote responsible use of data by customer-facing teams.
- Iterative approach: Implement changes in phases, allowing for learning and adaptation. Opt for phased approaches instead of a single target date for a big shift.
- Customer centricity: Prioritize understanding and meeting customer needs through digital channels, and consider how to maintain the existing brand and culture customers expect.
- Metrics and evaluation: Track KPIs, including customer satisfaction metrics, operational efficiency and productivity levels, and revenue metrics, to assess the full impact of transformation initiatives.
Transforming Your Business Communications? Say Hello to Nextiva!
Digital transformation isn’t one-size-fits-all. There is so much new tech hitting the market, and how you choose to use it is up to you.
The key thing is that you find new, strategic ways to leverage cutting-edge technology to benefit your team, whether you do so through operational processes, product development, or the customer experience.
When you’re ready to embark on a digital transformation journey, your business communication tool is a good place to start. Cedar Financial, a leading asset recovery firm, worked on its digital transformation strategy with Nextiva.
“At Cedar, we are committed to delivering exemplary performance and outstanding customer service. Everything we do is relationship-driven. With Nextiva, we are now properly armed in real time with a 360-degree view of our end users. We can better and more efficiently service them on their terms — whether that be a call, chat, SMS, or email.”
~Amir Erez, Cedar Financial founder and CEO
Nextiva is a modern business communication platform with options for small companies, large enterprises, and contact centers alike. Whether you need basic VoIP functionality or contact center solutions to create an omnichannel experience, we can help you organize and unify your business communications, so interacting with both your team and your customers is a breeze.
Learn more about Nextiva’s unified customer experience solutions today. 👇
