When the pandemic hit the world, it forced many unseen societal changes around the globe. One after another, all the countries imposed lockdown, governments issued orders to stay-at-home, restricted gatherings as much as possible. As a result, businesses started looking for alternative ways to keep surviving. In the initial days, it seemed like a temporary crisis. However, living in the mid-2021, the current situation shows that COVID-19 will stay with us forever.

With the never-seen-before pandemic, businesses started to overlook the way they used to operate, leading to massive digital transformation. Thanks to the internet, which kept everything afloat. Many organizations succeeded in altering the whole infrastructure while a lot of them are still struggling.

If we look at pre-pandemic trends, technology was already taking its place in the business world. It was playing an important role and had become an increasingly important part of the workforce. However, with the rapid trend towards the digital world, many things have changed.

Now the business owners have the mindset of looking at technology as a helpful means of engaging with customers. It is seen to be a successful way to introduce a safe yet running business. With the changing business landscape, let’s have a look at how the pandemic has led to the digital transformation of businesses?

How has the pandemic led to the digital transformation of businesses?

Trend #1: automation helps in driving profitability

Among the most popular changes, led by the novel Coronavirus, we see automation at the top. Along with digital transformations, what business owners have adapted is the trend to reduce manual work. So, how’s that done?

Previously, where stock announcements were made by in-store signage and boards, it is now done by online platforms. Not only this, repair stores that used to book manual appointments, are now doing it by online appointment scheduling. With the help of a dedicated auto repair shop software, no one needs to be physically present in the shop. Investing in automated systems to increase efficiency in business practices is the new trend.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world. Automation helps us overcome our fear by providing us with excellent tools to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.  Also, it helps in redefining the new normal in a post-COVID world. The accounting systems of businesses are now running by automated systems, and advanced management systems are executing marketing strategies, all with computerized instructions. And as a result, businesses should brace for a wave of automation in the near future.

Trend #2: high and sensitive customer expectations

With stay-at-home orders, people are bound to place orders via devices in their hands. The customer journey is now subtle than ever. Touchpoints are redefined due to the great revolution, and there’s a lot more emphasis on providing a fast customer experience.

With this, there’s an increased pressure on all the business leaders to ensure their customers have the best possible experience when choosing their services. To address this challenge, customer-friendly applications are being used by many businesses.

Let’s take the example of the auto repair shop. All customers used to bring in their damaged vehicles, and technicians were assigned to fix them. In the post-pandemic era, a dedicated app is designed for customers to book a repair appointment from their nearest repair shop. The auto repair shop management system receives the query, and the technician will perform onsite repairs. Packed up with all the necessary parts and the app (of course,) the repair guy will log the details and complete the task quickly. Such apps are proven to be the hallmark of successful digital business models in the future.

Trend #3: analytics provide a competitive advantage

Businesses that didn’t pay attention to look into analytics will probably run out of business in 2022. Having staggering drifts in the business world, one must work upon the business data and valuable insights.

One reason is that analytics help businesses to make informed business decisions. And in the current scenario, trends are changing rapidly. Therefore, a business that aims to be more efficient should look into analytics before making any decision. It is seen that entrepreneurs adopting this change outperform their competitors.

Research, find, and choose an advanced yet accurate analytics tool and try to understand why specific results are achieved, explore more dynamic business processes, and even forecast the probability of specific outcomes. Having a comprehensive stats dashboard will save you from months of no progress.

Trend #4: empowered customers worldwide

While every business is running from a distance, customers now have more choices than ever. An American brand can reach out to its potential customers in Australia, and it is like having a competition at its peak.

People compare different businesses in terms of their customer experience, product quality, service guarantee, and other factors in this age. So, now you have to beat your competitors to sustain your value and be in your customer’s minds.

Businesses need to invest in staying in front of their potential audience. For this reason, influencer marketing, YouTube advertisements, Facebook groups, Twitter hashtags, and numerous other campaigns are being used to create excitement around brands.

With empowered customers, one has to be careful and creative. Digital transformation due to COVID-19 is completely changing the way brands communicate, launch new products, announce promotions, conduct surveys, and engage with consumers.

There will be no “return to normal”

With the changing world, we need to accept that some of these changes are irreversible. The coronavirus is permanently reshaping the way we live and work. Some of the restrictions will surely end, but businesses must respond to these behavioral changes to stay competitive.

To survive and be successful, one has to meet emerging customer demands, and the best way to do it is, staying updated on the industry trends.

Conclusion

The whole year spent with the pandemic COVID-19 has greatly evolved digital transformation in the business world. From adopting new technology, having advanced tools & analytics, to improving communication with customers, the revolution has impacted every aspect of the business. Stay informed, updated, and progressing to join the list of post-pandemic successful companies.