The Digitization

Risks. Opportunities
Definition of terms. Advantage.

The digitalization of our (working) everyday life is no longer a topic for discussion, and it is already a fact. Nevertheless – or precisely because of this – it is important to question their development critically, their opportunities, and their risks time and again. For it is only from this assessment of the situation that it is possible to draw individual (entrepreneurial) lessons. After all, the requirements of the digital environment are entirely different for each of us and each company. Of course, a perfect craft business will place different demands on its digital environment than a service business does.

Definition of terms
Before we talk about digitization, it is essential to narrow down and define the end: “Digitization refers to the increased use of digital devices for private and business purposes. Computers and other carriers of digital technology store and process information at a much higher capacity and speed than is possible for humans. Admittedly, this is a broad field, but it is precisely this circumstance that makes the consideration of opportunities and risks so exciting: digitization begins with the use of e-mail instead of letters or faxes and does not end with the use of big data as a tool for market development. In between, there are countless possibilities of analog and digital work processes – or corresponding hybrid forms of them.

Digitalization represents a significant challenge for companies of all sizes. As a digital agency based in Munich, DeSight Studio has made it it’s business to show companies the way in this area.

People as interface
The “paperless office” has been propagated for decades and is still not 100% reality. In sober terms, the chances and advantages of doing all office work digitally predominate: colleagues are informed in real time, every work step is documented, filing is always up-to-date, employees are (theoretically) not tied to the office, archiving requires virtually no space. The concept “fails” because of the traditional working patterns. Not all employees and customers are digitally affine; the handling of the corresponding software must be learned and accepted on both sides.

While block and pencil are available at all times and noted content can always be retrieved, the multitude of digital interfaces (keyboard, mouse, computer, smartphone, tablet, server, Internet connection) contains considerably more potential sources of error. Digital solutions also have an expiration date. The best example of this is diskettes, data tapes, cartridges, ZIP and CDs, which are virtually no longer in use, or the data stored on them can simply no longer be read and used. We could give countless examples of this, but we want to get to the heart of the matter.

Added value as a driving force
Even we – as a digital agency – say: digitization must follow a clear objective, offer benefits, and be sensibly integrated into the daily workflow. Scanning must never be an end in itself, otherwise (despite the highest implementation effort) it will be a waste of time. Despite all bits and bytes, the human user is still the focus of this development. Digitized processes have to offer them added value and must ensure that their needs are met.

As mentioned in the beginning, these framework conditions are very different for every person and every company. That’s why DeSight Studio places great emphasis on giving the technology its meaning when creating digitization concepts – and never just letting it become a means to an end. Our personal (and professional) tip: use this expertise to determine where you stand and which form of digitization is the right one for you.

DeSight Studio GmbH | Wolfgang Zdimal

Journalist and professional copywriter Wolfgang Zdimal wrote this article on behalf of DeSight Studio GmbH and published by DeSight Studio GmbH. Wolfgang Zdimal, who manages his business from Vienna, Austria, has more than 20 years of professional experience and writes for the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, BAWAG P.S.K. Bank or just for DeSight Studio GmbH.