When the pandemic began in 2020, companies worldwide made it mandatory for employees to work from home.

For most, this meant quickly setting up digital transformation initiatives to ensure the continuity of business operations and team communication and collaboration despite the remote setup.

Fully remote teams have been existing long before COVID 19 happened. Thus, several digital solutions are available that can sustain daily running operations in a virtual setup.

In this article, we talk about digital transformation and how it can help companies navigate remote work. We also give tips on how to best approach digitalization in the time of a pandemic.

What Is Digital Transformation?

Before we get into details about how digital transformation can improve remote work, let us first layout its definition and role in the organization.

Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into business operations. The purpose of digital transformation is to revolutionize technological applications in the business and refine the system for a better value proposition. 

It's a cultural change that requires a solid commitment to progress, consistent trial and error, and acceptance of failures. Generally, it works by identifying a pressing problem in the organization that needs resolving or an opportunity to be seized. From there, you will build processes that would work best for the business.

Ways Digital Transformation Can Help With Remote Work

Due to the pandemic, the shift to a work-from-home setup has urged many business owners to capitalize on digital transformation. The efficiency and security it provides make up for the limitations of remote work. 

To discover what it can bring to your business, here are ways how digital transformation can help with remote working:

Cybersecurity

Remote working has its fair share of mobility and risks. Since sharing sensitive data and information functions on the internet, they are vulnerable to various breaches and cyber-attacks. However, with the right digital solutions, you can very well uphold confidentiality and secure company data.

To do this, you have to equip your team members with knowledge and a system that would enable them to work in a protected space. Train them to be wary of scams, phishing, and data theft rampant on the world wide web. It is also helpful to implement authentication policies for extra security.

Use the correct cloud-based systems and solutions to ensure the safety of data shared within your organization. Additionally, update security measures on the company and personal devices to prevent unwanted visitors from breaking in. 

Lastly, investing in AI and other counteracting systems to enhance cyber security is much cheaper than dealing with the damages brought about by cyber threats.

Data Automation

Administrative tasks make up about 50% of daily operations. It is tedious, and manually updating data can take hours. With automation, you and your team members don't have to spend an entire day filling in information and doing repetitive tasks.

Automating data inputs, project management, HR systems, CRM, data analytics, and other everyday tasks can save you work hours. It is the best way to foster efficiency within your business amidst the distance and communication barriers.

Utilizing the correct automation tools such as Trello, MS Office teams, Google Suite, or a customized automation system would tremendously increase your overall productivity. With these, you can save on costs since it requires less staffing, remote teams can effectively collaborate to do more strategic projects, and assure you of the quality of work from these specially built systems.

Data Workplaces

Reliable communication channels are the backbone of remote work. Unlike the traditional brick-and-mortar offices where you can easily ask your workmates for help or clarifications, a remote setup requires you to rely on yourself and digital platforms to collaborate. 

So, having the correct project management tools and communication platforms is a must in remote teams to promote a similar atmosphere from the traditional workspaces.

A disadvantage of working from home is the numerous distractions that can get you and your team members. However, incorporating digital transformation into the business operations can eliminate these distractions and encourage significant collaboration. 

By utilizing the virtual team building activities to create a good and chilling atmosphere,
you can also make working from home a good opportunity, since your team will benefit
from this a lot.

Provide a ubiquitous digital workplace where employees can freely share ideas, work with each other, keep track of productivity, and manage tasks. By refining, the workplace system to adapt to digitalization will revamp operations and enable a smooth workflow.

Tips In Implementing Digital Transformation On Remote Teams

Integrating digital transformation can be challenging, and we can't blame you. After all, digitalization was only wishful thinking decades ago. 

However, as times change and workplaces evolve, you need to learn how to adapt and thrive in the changing environments. To help you start, here are tips you should take note of in implementing digitalization on your business operations:

Have A Clear Vision

Since digital transformation is a strategic step, it has to have a direction. It is useless for IT teams to go around creating a system without an idea as to why they are doing it. For digital transformation to have potential and be effective, it needs to alleviate or solve something.

Your vision can be anything; it can be improved sales, increased engagement, or smoother operations as long as it can be used as a driving factor for implementing your digital initiatives.

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Don't Micromanage

Remote workers need a team leader who guides their members to their best potential and allows freedom within the workspace. Micromanaging has been proven to detriment professional relationships, team communication and collaboration.

Instead of controlling every move your employees make, trust in their capabilities and their effort to better the business. It is best to avoid nagging them to reconnect with themselves and check their mental well-being in their free time.

Emphasize The Importance Of Communication

Since everything happens in the digital workspace, it is okay to over-communicate. Set up communication rules and channels to ensure uninterrupted connection. Utilize instant messaging applications, video conferencing, and calls to keep everyone updated, so there will be no team members left behind and forgotten output. 

Avoid Technology Fatique

As digital devices are necessary for remote work to be effective, it is unavoidable to experience technology or digital fatigue. However, there are many ways to avoid this from happening and negatively affecting your productivity.

Take things one at a time and avoid multitasking to prevent extreme exhaustion. For instance, you can take two 30 minute breaks from your whole shift to get outside for a walk, snack, or do some stretching. You can also try to work in a pleasant and peaceful environment to boost your mood. 

As much as you want to be extra productive, it is best to listen to your body. Take breaks as much as your body and mind need to be at your most refined state.

Be Inclusive

Working with different individuals around the globe, some may require varying approaches. As a leader, being sincere and inclusive should be at your core. Keep your digital workplace a safe space for your team members and be an accommodating executive as your business operations go through digital changes.

Grab The Chances To Work With New Talent From All Over The World

The global work marketplaces house the best talents. Take advantage of this opportunity to search for team members across the globe. Hiring from other countries also brings immense benefits such as lesser costs and competent individuals.

Don't be too fixated on one place and explore for employees that will fit your company culture and go through changes and adapt to your business.

Digital Transformation Is No Longer Optional

As the global pandemic crisis struck the whole world, remote work became mandatory. No one expected it to last for so long, but it opened new conversations about how a remote setup could actually benefit and foster collaboration within an organization.

Companies operating in a partial or complete remote setup before the pandemic definitely had a head start. However, this does not mean that it's too late for others to remodel their processes and systems to adapt to workplaces' evolution.

Digital transformation is here to stay, regardless if there's a pandemic or not. The recent events just sealed the deal for companies to integrate digital initiatives into their system entirely. 

So, thanks to the evolving technology, we have solutions that make it possible to run a company 100% remotely. But aside from having these tools readily available, it's equally important to roll them out properly and make sure you manage your virtual team well.

It is time for you to capitalize on communication, collaboration, culture, and digital transformation to ensure that you are one step ahead of your competition. Make the change and see growth and development unfold before your eyes.