How you should digitise your business in 2021

If there's one aspect of business that universally all companies will need to address in 2021, it's the digitisation of systems, the careful structuring of the data analytics function and the careful and logical investment into e-commerce capabilities.

Digitisation of the value chain in 2021 will be key to building a more resilient business next year; the real challenge is making sure you do it in the best possible without wasting too much time and money on expensive mistakes and experiments along the way.

Speaking to management consultants who have all the book smarts in the space is expensive and largely irrelevant, because they've never built these systems themselves.

Service providers who have vested interests in selling their own products to you are also seriously biased when it comes to objective advice.

The best way to start the process then is to harvest the invaluable perspectives of individuals that have successfully built some of the best e-commerce and digitisation platforms themselves, before setting out on your own journey of discovery.

Get the story from digital practitioners who have learnt all the hard lessons themselves - so that you don't need to waste time and money doing the same thing yourself.

All too often a business will pursue a digitisation strategy thinking that it's an easy route to profitability, only to realise far down the investment-line that potential profitability needs to be built into the initial design of project.

Things to consider

Just some of the aspects of the value chain that will need very careful consideration as to how you plan to approach them will include:

• Technical - how your investment will be built and maintained and by whom
• Logistics & warehousing - what are the cost implications of each and what should you be looking for in a service provider
• Marketing - how will you compete in the expensive and competitive online marketplace
• Produce range - what products work, what products don't
• Profitability - what is your route to profitability in the online space
• Customer service - too many great brands have been broken by lapses in strategic foresight when it comes to how they handle customer service
• Brand - how will you successfully deliver your brand when so much is out of your control
• Data - what to do with it once you have it
• Industry trends - what developments are happening now that you should know of to successfully invest into an asset that will have longevity

A solution

Seeing a need for qualified perspectives on these topics and knowledge from people who have the battle scars from building these systems themselves - Cherryflava has put together a panel of thought leaders in the digital space who are available to workshop your 2021 digitisation plan with you.

If you are interested in fast-tracking your thinking through this workshop ahead of investing a lot of money into exploring your digital options for 2021 - then please get in touch with Jon Cherry for more details, availability and costings.