8 Ways To Speed up Digital Transformation

David Schmaier is the CEO of Salesforce Industries and is responsible for Salesforce’s Industry Cloud software and business strategies for all industries.

The benefits of digitalization have been an ever-present conversation around most industries for years. But for many businesses, that seemed to be a long way off. The pandemic changed that forever. Digital transformation is no longer a future initiative – it has become today’s necessity that separates market leaders from those who are falling behind, and changes the way organizations connect with their customers.  

In this new environment, businesses have been thrust into a world in which the way of doing business is different. It’s all virtual and digital. Patients need remote doctor appointments. Consumers are shopping online and picking up their order curbside or having it shipped to their homes. Industrial machinery quotes and orders need to happen via digital channels. Many workers now rely on wifi to work from home. In-person interactions are few and far between. This isn’t just an adjustment. It’s the new normal — faster, easier, highly automated, and more cost-effective. 

The companies that thrive will be those that can transform faster. Many are scrambling to find fast, effective digital solutions. Digital projects are no longer measured in years but instead in months. The opportunity is there for all companies to unlock the digital door their customers are banging on. Imagine being one of the first to welcome them all in, especially at a time when every customer and sale counts more than ever. 

Today’s digital landscape, while an incredible opportunity, may look a bit daunting. But businesses don’t have to go it alone. The right strategic technology can help make sense of customers’ needs and elevate the ability to serve them. With capabilities to pull information from existing systems, companies don’t have to start from scratch. With cloud native solutions, businesses can go digital faster. Best of all, the right partner has real-world experience with the specific industry and challenges businesses face.

Salesforce Industries combines the capabilities of the world’s # 1 CRM and Vlocity and Salesforce’s suite of industry-specific cloud products to help organizations go digital fast. With 12 industry cloud apps and more than 700 industry-specific processes, businesses can transform faster than ever before with software tailored to the best practices of their industry, giving them unlimited scalability and flexibility to achieve the new digital normal. Best of all, we back up our world-class industry cloud software with industry experts, dedicated service and support teams by industry, dedicated engineering teams, and one of the world’s most powerful ecosystems of leading systems integrators and independent software (ISV) partners to help businesses of all sizes realize value from their digital transformation. 

Make the Digital Transformation 

There is no one right way for companies to make the transformation, as the answers and best practices differ by industry. Here are eight examples of companies that did it well with the help of Salesforce Industries.

1. Communications

Telecom Argentina’s digital transformation simplified the customer experience for 19 million customers while also changing its internal culture. Now the company is Argentina’s top provider of mobile, TV, internet, and phone services.

2. Public Sector and Government

 The State of Rhode Island moved its COVID-19 testing and contact tracing system to the cloud. This gives the Rhode Island Board of Health a comprehensive record of each COVID-19 case in the state. The initial version went live in just a month, with some key features available in only a week.

3. Healthcare and Life Sciences

Humana used an agile mindset to digitally transform its business in six months. In addition, it’s using the Salesforce Health Cloud to help power its new Enterprise Clinical Operating Model. This care management system will integrate care coordination among members, care teams, and provider communities.

4. Media

Ticketmaster sells nearly 500 million tickets globally every year. Using Salesforce allows the company to connect its customer data across the organization to enable a smarter, faster, more personalized, and fan-centric experience its customers expect at scale

5. Manufacturing

Market and customer demand in the manufacturing industry fluctuates often due to external forces. Kawasaki Engines uses Salesforce solutions to leverage sales insights to provide better predictability and transparency across its ecosystem

6. Utilities

Engie — one of the world’s leading energy companies — provides zero-carbon transition solutions to its many customers around the globe. The Salesforce Customer 360 platform gives it the customer-centric approach it needs to tailor its solutions to each client.

7. Retail and Consumer Goods

Unilever has more than 400 brands and 161,000 employees. With its commitment to making the world a better place, it embraces the digital age using Salesforce. This empowers its employees to deliver the best to its customers and drive growth. 

8. Financial Services

As the federal government of the United States launched its COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Mascoma Bank integrated its existing services with Salesforce, Salesforce Financial Services Cloud, and Salesforce partner nCino’s solution, transforming its business to be able to process a year’s worth of loans in just 13 days, supporting 12,500 jobs in its community. 

From these eight customer case studies, it’s clear digital transformation is an industry-specific sport. Cloud native solutions allow organizations to move fast, and industry-specific cloud software that’s tailored to specific sectors further accelerates time to value, making it the fastest path to digital transformation.

Digital transformation is here today and it’s nonnegotiable – businesses need it to survive. Those that lean in will be the ones that truly thrive. 

Watch and learn more about the path to digital transformation:

Get a customized recommendation of Salesforce solutions, tailored for the exact needs of your business, with the Customer 360 Solution Finder.