In the midst of today’s turbulent times, small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are grappling with disruption and complexity at every turn. This underscores the critical need to invest in digital and transformative technology now more than ever.
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Before you read past this article thinking it’s yet another digital transformation drive with little grasp of reality, rest assured that we are here to provide you with practical insights into the genuine value of investing in digital tools in the current economic landscape. But how do you know which tools you need or which aspects of your business would benefit from digital transformation?
1. Communication: Communication lies at the centre of most businesses, both internally and externally, so investing in world-class communications solutions is essential. Not only are these solutions a business’s direct line to its customer base, but over the last few years, many SMEs have adopted a hybrid working model or gone fully remote. This has put communications at the heart of collaboration, efficient teamwork, productivity, and, ultimately, business growth. Businesses that need to cover more bases than simply group collaboration between digital devices should, however, look at a unified communications solution like Liquid’s OneVoice for Microsoft Teams and Operator Connect. This solution allows SMEs to add PSTN calling to their MS Teams environment from directly within the Teams Admin Centre in Microsoft 365 with no additional hardware, offering PBX functionality, which includes voice, video, and chat hosted in the cloud.
2. Leveraging the Cloud: Smaller businesses have an advantage over their larger counterparts in that they can act nimbly. Without the need to run applications close to where their data is produced, they can leverage the power of the cloud, which has proven to be a game-changer for SMEs.
The cloud offers numerous benefits that can transform the way startups operate and compete in today’s digital landscape. By migrating their operations to the cloud, SMEs can reduce infrastructure costs, enhance scalability, and increase flexibility. The cloud also ensures data security and disaster recovery, providing peace of mind about compliance issues.
3. Software: The applications used by SMEs will differ from business to business, and they can depend on a number of factors – budget, reliability, and required functionality. There is a plethora of productivity suites available, including Google Docs, WPS, and OnlyOffice, but most opt for Microsoft 365 (MS 365).
Microsoft offers customers a complete online and offline workplace experience with MS 365. It is packed with features for advanced users. Offering multiple solutions in a single suite – including OS, email, device management and security, storage, document management, instant messaging, and collaboration apps – it can easily integrate with existing systems, allows for centralised management, and caters to any industry and size.
4. Security: Every online business needs a cyber security strategy. This is as true for the smallest SME as it is for the largest corporation. Beyond the reputational and financial loss an SME can experience as a result of a cyber-attack, it can also compromise suppliers and partners it has, acting as a backdoor for cybercriminals.
As part of any digitising process, SMEs should invest in a comprehensive strategy to keep their operations safe online. It’s worth engaging a company with a track record of excellence to help with this, one that can offer a full assessment of the business’s pain points and can provide it with insights and control on protecting employees, devices, and data. Cyber security is not a grudge purchase – it is essential for all businesses with an online presence.
Liquid’s extensive experience and expertise can plot the digital deployment of SMEs, no matter the size and type. We understand that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution and can develop bespoke digitising strategies quickly and efficiently, offering scalable IT requirements to meet the evolving needs of any business.
By digitally transforming their operations, SMEs gain the ability to build a collaborative digital ecosystem that takes them from local to global at the click of a mouse. How? By allowing the SME to engage with customers in any country and remain connected and active within a vibrant online environment designed to meet very specific business needs. Digitising your business may require an initial investment, but it empowers SMEs to stay ahead of the curve and avoid being left behind in an increasingly connected world.
