How to Ensure a Successful Digital Transformation

The past decade has brought significant technological evolution, with the majority of businesses transforming into digital organizations and consumers embracing an online world wholeheartedly. However, one fundamental industry continues to cling to seemingly tried-and-true traditions and avoid the undeniable benefits of digitization: healthcare. By refusing to evolve past largely paper-based document control processes, healthcare organizations are racking up unnecessary operational costs, increasing their risk levels and worst of all, impeding critical research progress.
 
Continuing to rely on antiquated, paper-based document control in this vital industry can lead to obscured data-driven insights, endless opportunity for human error and harmful blind spots. Additionally, having to scan handwritten notes and store massive quantities of paper documents results in version control madness, and having to sort through and/or transport hundreds or even thousands of heavy file boxes any time a question or audit arises can lead to workplace injuries, chronic delays and inspection complications.
 
Why Many Healthcare Organizations Fail to Digitally Transform
Given the highly regulated, process-driven nature of the life sciences and healthcare sector, practicality and pragmatism are understandably priorities. In fact, many organizations operate under a well-intentioned mindset of, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?”
 
Here’s the problem, though: In today’s increasingly digital world where transparency, innovation and speed are key to survival and long-term market relevance, a “It’s not broken” mindset is no longer good enough.
 
Recognizing the need to remain competitive, many healthcare organizations are interested in the concept of eliminating their paper processes. However, actually executing on digitization goals can prove much more challenging, with most projects failing due to underfunding or poor adoption. For example, according to LNS Research, only 7 percent of the life sciences and healthcare market have automated design transfer, while the majority use spreadsheets and documents. Much of the industry has yet to take advantage of automated workflows and portals, and only 21% have adopted a core enterprise quality management system (EQMS).
 
3 Best Practices for Ensuring a Successful Digitization Implementation
To overcome paperless adoption hurdles and assuage the aversion to change common in high-risk environments, consider the following three best practices before embarking on any digitization implementation:
 

• Start small: According to a 2018 Strategy + Businessarticle, the potential impact of small automation is significant: “Small automation can improve the productivity of individual processes by 80 to 100% (the top of the range reflects a transition to a touchless solution) and overall functions by 20% or more.” Rather than taking on too much too fast, focus on quickly implementing flexible and adaptable technologies that fill the gaps left by current enterprise systems. By taking a ‘small automation’ approach to digitization efforts, organizations can save significant costs and gain greater flexibility and configurability—all while minimizing disruption to operations.
• Prioritize interconnectedness: One of the most important factors in any successful digitization initiative is ensuring the technology implemented fosters interconnectedness and transparency. In other words, make sure there is a seamless and constant exchange of information between all stakeholders—from patient data, research and development, and production through communication between suppliers, insurers, doctors and other key influencers.
• Conduct a pilot: To effectively change behavior, most people have to experience the benefits firsthand. A paperless pilot program conducted in a specific department or function can help provide the evidence people seek and make full digitization implementations feel less daunting. Consider collecting feedback from pilot program participants via a central forum so users can share how and where processes can be refined further. Also, make sure these early adopters are well trained on how to most productively use the new system before they’re given full access to the pilot.

 
Smaller, Faster, and Smarter Approaches are Key
Digital transformation is a long-term commitment, and as with most worthwhile endeavors, it can be a challenging, patience-testing process. Ultimately, leveraging smaller, faster and smarter tactics to replace paper-based processes is key. By adopting a ‘small automation’ approach, ensuring constant communication and conducting an initial pilot program to rally widespread support, organizations can deliver greater time-to-value for their digitization initiatives, minimize disruption to operations and perhaps most importantly, ease the behavioral and cognitive barriers that make people resistant to trying something new.
 

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As the executive vice president of marketing, Sara Bresee is responsible for elevating MasterControl from a customer-loving enterprise software provider to a global customer-obsessed organization. She brings more than 20 years’ experience in integrated marketing, both in the client and agency sectors.