How to reduce the Digital Divide in the company

The digital divide in a company is the gap between professionals trained in new technologies, open to experimenting and activating new ways of working, and others less open to change and innovation.

This only increases the internal gap within organizations and, consequently, their ability to access new technologies and implement and use them effectively in business processes. The result is an ever-widening gap between companies that have been able to follow technological evolution and those that have lagged behind.

The causes, of course, are not just human. In addition to the objective inability due to lack of technical skills or initial skepticism, for many companies the economic impossibility of activating certain transformation paths weighs heavily.

Unfortunately, the acceleration of the digital transformation process dictated by Covid-19, which forced companies to rapidly adopt technological solutions that allow staff to be able to work from home, and the simplification of industrial applications aimed at automation and efficiency of the production chain, the digital gap between companies has only widened further.

The dynamics of the market contribute to the difficulties, which typically sees Corporates often procure services and solutions from medium and small-sized companies, which are thus included in the value chain. However, since corporates can face digital transformation with the means it requires, while SMEs, as mentioned, do not always succeed, the value chain is broken.

Furthermore, there is often a cultural distance as well. In an accelerated globalization landscape, only international or multinational industrial groups are culturally and operationally more distant from conservative dynamics. Therefore, smaller companies risk succumbing, with enormous and catastrophic consequences on the internal economy and on the social fabric.

Tackling and solving the problem must be an imperative commitment for companies if they are to survive and thrive. Fortunately, it is still not too late for any company as there are solutions, tools, processes and professionals capable of facilitating and governing digital transformation in the company, starting with the digital divide in the company.
Let’s see the main initiatives that organizations can implement to reduce the internal gap.

Digital divide in the company: the generation gap

We must remember that focusing on technological innovation does not only mean increasing the competitiveness of a company on the market, but also knowing how to equip oneself with tools and know how to exploit them.

The staff is therefore called upon to learn about and use the new tools. In this sense, young natively possess adequate digital skills and are therefore facilitators and accelerators of innovation in the business context.

Companies, therefore, must necessarily reduce the digital divide starting from their collaborators.
It is not a question of replacement operations of the workforce but of targeted actions, aimed at the grafting of young resources in strategic departments for digital transformation, where change can be designed, programmed, governed and promoted within the organization.

We therefore speak of a path of integration between existing personnel and new figures, starting a process of contamination between organizational levels and between generations.

Digital divide in the company: the company organization

With digital transformation advancing rapidly in every industry, having a future-proof workforce becomes imperative. Essentially, any transformation needs to be stitched into the very fabric of the company and backed up by senior leaders for maximum impact.

Unfortunately, many companies are lagging behind on this front. It is very important, however, that the adoption of new digital infrastructures, technologies and human resources is also accompanied by a correct company organization capable of enabling change.

In fact, it is wrong to think that in order to bridge the digital divide it is not also necessary to design and implement adequate plans and processes. Indeed, it is essential that SMEs quickly resolve the issue of internal processes in order to limit the negative impact.

Digital divide in the company: internal training

The process of transformation and reduction of the digital divide in the company also has the advantage of placing the organizations that undertake it in a position of competitive advantage in their sector both nationally and internationally.

In order for this process to be triggered, companies must start from a cultural change, as mentioned, that invests all its people, from management to collaborators, and invest in skills.

The most effective way to implement this process is through internal training programs. The ideal mindest is that of continuing education.

Digital divide in the company: the importance of communication

Another method to combat the digital divide is the creation of an internal communication campaign aimed at disseminating detailed information regarding the use and characteristics of new technologies.

Explaining how the new tools work facilitates and accelerates the transformation phase. In this regard, it becomes essential to design specific strategies and initiatives that reduce the IT gap.

The goal of all organizations must be to make all employees able to use and make the most of new digital technologies in the workplace.

Digital divide in the company: Cybersecurity

With the digital transformation underway that passes from the adoption of Cloud solutions, there is also the need to adopt increasingly secure IT systems.

Also in this context it is essential that those who work in the sector maintain high quality standards and are constantly updated.

If properly activated, cybersecurity can represent a valid tool for innovation and development within organizations, in a market that can be an opportunity as well as a need.

Raising employee awareness of the potential negative consequences that careless use of company systems and passwords is the first step.

The benefits of digital transformation for companies

Implementing digital transformation plans represents an investment and, as such, must be carefully evaluated in terms of return on investment.

Well, there are many benefits to digital transformation to begin with, as seen by reducing the digital divide in the company. Here is a clear and concise list of where digital transformation intervenes positively in companies:

• Improve the customer experience by increasing acquisition and retention;
• Provides information and empirical strategic solutions;
• Facilitates and encourages internal collaboration;
• Enhance employee experience and productivity;
• Accelerate and increase the ability to innovate and simplify transformation processes;
• Stimulates and helps the workforce to keep up to date constantly, making people feel useful and motivated;
• Promotes a digital culture in the company by transforming the mindest of all the people involved, which in itself represents the first of the competitive advantages of an organization;
• Activate and consolidate agile processes and operations that are easily implemented.

Conclusions

Not all companies invest in digital transformation and, among those that do, not all invest sufficient resources. This only divides the companies that invest more in new technological processes and initiatives from those that do not.

Entrepreneurs therefore need to look reality in the face. Bridging the digital divide in companies is a mandatory step for the future of the business. Technological innovation is now the main competitive factor. Organizations must therefore invest in infrastructures and technologies and processes, but to do so it is first of all necessary to eliminate the digital divide in the company.

Equally, workers must keep up with technological innovation and commit to understanding how it works. Otherwise, the gap between those who know how to use new technologies and those who don’t will get bigger and bigger. Neither companies nor workers can escape this process if they want to stay on the market.

Original article published on Money.it Italy 2022-11-15 08:57:00.
Original title: Come ridurre il digital divide in azienda