The ‘move to digital’ continues. Described as a ‘trend’ for so many years, it is, in actuality, a continuous business requirement. For many businesses, who may have considered themselves immune to the reality of ‘online’, the Covid-19 global pandemic has increasingly shown that digital is neglected or ignored at your peril.

Across all industries, changes in consumer behaviour and traditional business models have shown an increasing shift to ‘an online world’. For some, this has perhaps not seemed relevant, but as quoted in the 2020 Harvard Business report, ‘Adapt your business to the new reality’, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says, “For the vast majority of companies, responding to demand shifts will involve at least some digital transformation—and probably a significant level of it. We have seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months among enterprise customers—and the result of those investments will persist long after the crisis.”

 

Locally, we at Solvue-IT see similar evidence.

“Creating a ‘world online’ is one of the top three requirements that both existing and potential customers engage with us on.

Creating a ‘world online’ can involve several stand-alone, or integrated, elements. All related to how your clients and potential clients digitally experience your business from the outside, while at the same time allowing you to collect information that will help you improve your online world.

These include website development (with or without ecommerce functionality),  plugin integration, custom forms, modern and simplified user interface, et al.

We’re also seeing an increase in application development (design, specification, development and implementation) and the need to futureproof – not just technology, but the business in its entirety.

There is a focus on strategically considering tech – using technology as the foundation to underpin and enable strategic business futureproofing.

Importantly, the need for automation and seamless business operations – always a mainstay for many companies reviewing their technology infrastructure – is aligning with the development and implementation of operational ‘apps’ to enable this.

Following closely on from the above, some additional requirements stand out in recent customer engagement:

  • POPIA Compliance: The need to create/ review, implement and maintain IT policies and procedures in relation to business, government and industry needs in addition to conducting IT assessments related to governance (policies, procedures, etc.).
  • Cybersecurity: The need to review and implement processes necessary for the protection of all internal systems and networks, information and data from the risk of potential outside damage, threats or attacks. This includes antivirus management, firewall management, data protection, web and application security, patch and update management, vulnerability assessments and regular monitoring.

The reduction of costs is always a factor, possibly now even more so. To do this, we recommend that businesses (of all sizes) seek out solutions that are not only cost effective but also tailored to their individual cash flow and life stage of the business.

Irrespective of whether your business requirements align with the above customer trends, or not, IT is a business tool that needs to flow from the long (medium and short) term business strategy. It then can be budgeted for according to a predetermined analysis of what is essential not only with regards to business survival but, so too, long term business sustainability.

We deal with, and tailor our solutions across, businesses of all sizes. Taking the above as a microcosm of the bigger business landscape indicates that whilst certain ‘stalwarts’ remain in demand (digital migration, seamless and automated operations and cost-effective solutions, to name but a few); IT infrastructure and systems – driven by business strategy with the aim of holistic business futureproofing – is starting to gain traction as a preferred point of departure.