6 Post-Pandemic Digital Transformation Trends to Watch Out For in 2022
What is digital transformation? It’s important to have a brief discussion about its meaning before moving forward.
There are many digital transformation definitions on the internet, but we’re going to keep things simple here. Digital transformation is using technology to enhance customer experience and streamline business operations. That’s all you need to know to get started. And if you want to get down to the nitty-gritty, a solution has been mentioned at the end of this article.
Now, let’s discuss how digital technology will shape how companies do business in the year 2022 and beyond.
1. Contactless Payments
Even before the pandemic, contactless payments were prevalent in a lot of countries. And after the pandemic, governments and businesses around the world made cashless transactions the new norm. Not only are contactless payments hygienic, but they’re also hassle-free. Just tap your card and voila! No need for passwords or swiping your card in the terminal—which, by the way, poses a security risk, too.
Another form of contactless payments is making payments at the point of sale (POS) through smartphones. A forecast by eMarketer states that the number of contactless mobile payment users in the US will increase from 101.2 million in 2021 to 125 million in 2025.
2. In-Store Pick Up
In-store pick up is a method by which customers first go through an online catalogue and place an order, and then, they visit the physical retail outlet to collect their items. This is beneficial for both the customers and the business.
Instead of walking throughout a supermarket and waiting in line to pay, customers can have all their products as soon as they reach the outlet. Businesses can also benefit by being able to serve more customers in a relatively shorter time. This trend also gained popularity in 2020 when social distancing measures were strictly adhered to. Now customers know they can skip the queue and go for in-store pick up, and this trend will likely continue in the future.
3. Customization
Remember buying shoes in the early 2000s? Well, you had to visit a brick-and-mortar store and buy whatever was available at that time. Not anymore! Nike has now enabled its customers to design a unique pair of sneakers online. Customers can choose from dozens of colors and graphics and get exactly what they want.
According to Deloitte, one in every four customers is ready to pay more for a customized product. For obvious reasons, a lot of companies around the world have suffered losses due to unprecedented circumstances created by the virus. Businesses in every sector may try to enable customers to customize products using digital technology in order to increase their revenue.
4. E-Learning
Buying online courses or attending seminars using a webcam and a computer wasn’t really a new trend. However, when the pandemic struck the world in 2020, millions of school and college students around globally had to take online lessons as they had no other option. Thanks to digital technology and supportive teachers, this was made possible.
According to GlobalData, the financial worth of e-learning could be a whopping $539 billion by 2030. That is a really, really huge sum! It is likely that schools, universities, as well as course creators from the private sector, will jump on the bandwagon to have their slice of this gigantic pie.
5. Remote Working
If you’re a professional and you’re reading this, there’s a high chance that you have worked remotely at least once. Just like the other trends mentioned above, this one was unplanned as well. COVID-19 restrictions gave us no choice but to be in our homes and work, while also taking care of kids, doing chores, and shopping for the household while wearing a mask.
According to a forecast by Gartner, 51% of knowledge workers globally will be working remotely by the end of 2021. That’s more than half of the workforce. This would not have been possible without digital technologies like video conferencing and cloud sharing. Not only has technology enabled modern-day professionals to work from the comfort of their own homes, but professionals themselves are also becoming more inclined towards flexible working arrangements. According to a survey by PwC, 64% of millennials would like to work from home occasionally, and 66% want flexible work hours.
6. Growth of 5G
With more electronic devices and attractive Wi-Fi packages in the market, the demand for a high-speed, state-of-the-art connection will also grow. This is when 5G comes into play. 5G is the latest and the best piece of digital technology that we currently have when it comes to mobile internet connectivity. It offers an increased bandwidth as compared to 4G and it also has a lower latency. This means that a 5G connection can process very high volumes of data without delay.
According to Omdia and 5G Americas, the number of 5G connections will grow from around 600 million in 2021 to 3 billion by 2025. 5G will not only provide a trustworthy and high-speed connection to customers, but it will also provide many business opportunities to entrepreneurs.
Are You Ready for Digital Transformation?
Digital technology is exciting and can make your business a lot of money if you know how to use it. But to leverage digital transformation to the fullest, you will need expert advice. The businesses that actually incorporate digitalization successfully are the ones who have experts on board.
This is where Consultport can help. We have over 3,500 consultants and digital experts in our talent pool.
If you want to incorporate digitalization into your business, our highly experienced digital transformation consultants can help you create and execute a digitalization strategy.
Usually, we are able to staff our clients’ projects within 48 hours. You could just be a few hours away from interviewing your new digital transformation consultant and problem solver.
Get in touch now!
