How COVID-19 is causing accelerated digital transformation

As the pandemic continues and our way of life changes and evolves to cope, it is interesting to think what the world will look like once we are out the other end of this (and we will get there!).

The obvious change has been the universal move online.

In the middle of March, before lockdown in the UK even properly began, Vodaphone reported a 30% rise in internet traffic. More people are using the internet and they are spending more time doing so.

Virtual spaces have replaced their real-world counterparts with relative ease. You can join choirs online, go to your doctor’s appointment, take part in live fitness classes or run a pub quiz with your mates.

Remote working, now a requirement for most where possible, has proved how well businesses can function in the virtual world. The adoption of Zoom and other remote working tools has allowed many businesses to carry on almost like normal in these challenging times.

Processes that once required hard copy documents or wet signatures are going digital and are much more efficient as a result.

Once we get out the other end of this pandemic, it’s hard to believe we could possibly revert to our former ways. Organisations will no longer be able to deny that remote working is feasible and newly digitised processes will not go back to their analogue ways (at least you hope not!). 

What does accelerated digital transformation mean for digital teams?

• More stuff will be done online than ever before
• This means there is going to be even more focus on providing a good user experience for both your external customers and internal staff
• Why? Because providing a good online experience will help you maintain a competitive advantage and ensure your processes are efficient
• The best way to ensure a great user experience, is by testing your processes and digital assets with real users
• And this is something you should be doing now (even if it seems counterintuitive because you feel you want to save money!)
• So when all this is over, your business emerges with a fantastic online product or service that knocks your competitors out of the water

As Jane Frost, CBE, the Chief Executive Officer of the Market Research Society says in her letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer,

“The research industry listens to British citizens and relays their attitudes, opinions and behaviours to those in power – government. Now, more than ever, we need to understand all segments of British society in order to ensure that as a society we emerge well from this crisis.”

So if possible, don’t put your research plans on hold. This will ensure you are raring to go once we get out the other end of this (and it will happen so hang in there folks!).

Read more about the benefits of conducting user research remotely and how rapid remote usability testing can help you get it right first time.