Digital Transformation – A Trendy Term or Is Your Business Putting Words to Action?
23 October 2017
Last Updated on 3 March 2024
Terms come and go and they leave an impression, lasting or not. Whether your business was able to execute what the point of that term was in the first place is the point of this article. We have a look at the buzzwords driving change right now, Digital Transformation and Digital Disruption. We examine why for some these are just that, trendy terms. Leaving no mark or any positive change for the business.
“Digital transformation starts with an audit of all digital channels.”
Kenneth Sun, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Flint Studio
Kenneth Sun also heads the Flint Digital Transformation Team, which helps businesses bring their ideas to life.
Once a company has looked at their digital channels and have seen how those channels are benefitting them, they can then look at how they can be improved in the not-so-distant future. At least that is the start of Digital Transformation, finding solutions to the current issue and then expanding from there.
It is also being innovative at every chance one gets, meaning there need not be an issue to resolve in order to come up with new and improved ways of going about your business. Once you can confirm that you’re doing this, you can asses whether your ideas can work or are indeed working.
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Digital Disruption takes things up a notch, by inventing new ways of providing a service that already exists but in a way that existing industry players cannot outperform.
What Digital Transformation in SA Looks Like Right Now
It’s all great to flaunt the insights we have on the subject but when there is no action, it is all just aimless blabber. We compiled a list of companies that have been doing more than just talking about Digital Transformation and Digital Disruption, they are Get Smarter, Discovery, Lead Home, Takealot, Yuppiechef, FitChef, SnapScan, Bank Zero, and Lamudi among a few. We have a brief look at what they’ve done and why it is that they have our attention.
Get Smarter
Collaborating with some of the leading universities, like Cambridge, University of Cape Town and Harvard, Get Smarter offers premium online short courses, mostly, to working professionals. Candidates can make their CV’s look better by obtaining a qualification at one of these and because their short courses are available online, candidates can obtain these qualifications from more than one of the prestigious institutions, all at just a tap of a key. The fees are lower than they would be at the institutions and the courses offer the convenience of being obtainable from any part of the world. The online course industry was never ready!
Discovery
Discovery Health has revolutionised the health industry in South Africa by doing more than just providing healthcare cover. By constantly reinventing themselves and including applications like HealthID and Connected Care, formerly DrConnect among others they set themselves as leaders in the healthcare industry. HealthID, provides doctors with patient information which then helps them with diagnosis and other examinations while DrConnect provides healthcare advice to their members. Other products include, credit cards, Vitality and Discovery Insure.
Lead Home
Bringing the estate agent to the customer at a competitive rate, Lead Home is changing the real estate industry. Providing a digital platform to sell homes in an easier, faster way is indeed ‘challenging the status quo’ as they state. This is achieved by connecting technology with people in an industry where the need is not seen as an urgent need.
Takealot
Established just in 2011, Takealot earned its success mostly through acquisitions of some of the most popular, but arguably smaller businesses. These acquisitions include Take 2 in 2011, Mr. Delivery and Superbalist in 2014 and merging with Kalahari in 2015. And in October 2018, Superbalist and Spree merged to provide customers with the latest local and international fashion. While acquisition can be risky, they have managed to make this work, making them one of the biggest industry disruptors.
Yuppiechef
Founded in 2006, Yuppiechef began out of a passion for cooking and a desire to be the best in the homeware and kitchenware industry. They’ve made available some of the most sought-after products and brands that are often hard to find. They now stock over 300 of the world’s leading brands and have launched retail stores across the country. It is not like kitchen brands were not available before they started, the solution they provided was bring all of them in one place, on the go. In addition to this, they go the extra mile when it comes to their packaging by including collectable fridge magnets and handwritten notes from their team, therefore enhancing the customer experience.
FitChef
Often, we know that we have to eat healthy, however many struggle with getting started for a number of reasons. FitChef was founded with the purpose to solve this problem. Giving customers the option to shop to their budget, as the healthy lifestyle is often perceived to be expensive. FitChef prepares meals according the customer’s needs, freezes the food and then delivers to their doorstep and recently, they stock at selected retail health stores.
SnapScan
SnapScan is a mobile payment platform where you can make mobile device payments for goods and services at participating merchants by scanning a QR Code. Users can download the app and integrate it to their bank account. With over 10 million users, SnapScan has become one of the most popular mobile payment platforms in South Africa. One of the main advantages SnapScan holds over its competitors is how easy it is to use. It has disrupted the payments industry by making it easier and safer for people to make payments without having to carry money or their cards. The ease of use for the customer is also coupled with low fees for merchants unlike traditional credit card payments.
As an online real estate platform, Lamudi allows people to buy, sell, and rent properties. Founded in 2013, Lamudi is one of the largest online real estate platforms in South Africa. This real estate enterprise has disrupted the industry by making is easier and more transparent for people to find and sell properties. Lamudi gets their listings from a variety of sources such as real estate agents, private sellers, and developers. People can also get a variety of users from them to help with the buying and selling process, such as mortgage calculators and property guides.
Digital Transformation Strategies – How You Too Can Walk The Talk
It is clear that having a look at your industry and seeing that everything is working and that it needs no fixing is not enough. You do not have to wait until there is an issue in order for you to make big changes and with the ever-evolving space, you need to be on top of digital.
It’s understandable that moving your idea forward can be daunting. You can have a whole team of creative thinkers who can propel your business to greater heights, setting you as a leader in your field. But, do you question how the ideas will be implemented? Do you have a plan, should the idea not work out? Do you have the budget and the time to invest in it?
