Digitalisation is the key to more effective and efficient business operations, and it can help companies' access new customers and markets. For more information download this SlideShare presentation for a copy of the whitepaper or visit our website www.fujixerox.com.au

1. Digitalisation: The future of IT for
business
Digitalisation is the key to more effective and efficient business operations, and it can help
companies’ access new customers and markets.

2. It’s easy to get caught up in new industry and market
buzzwords. We’ve all seen the emergence of terms
like cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and of
course, digitalisation. While many of these can bring
your organisation tangible improvements, digitalisation
underpins pretty much everything, and is one of the
most powerful and accessible.
Digitalisation is about more than just replicating paper-
based documents and files in a digital environment;
it can optimise processes to increase revenue while
simultaneously reducing costs. It’s also invaluable as a
way of improving business continuity and promoting
staff flexibility.
In this paper, we’ll explore what digitalisation is, how it
differs from digitisation, what it can do for businesses
and why it’s important to implement it with an
experienced and skilled partner.
Digitalisation is more than the future, it’s the right now;
and it’s time to consider the approach.
Understanding digitalisation: what is it?
Before delving into the details of what digitalisation
can do for business, it’s important to understand
what the term means, and the difference between
digitalisation and digitisation.
Gartner defines digitalisation as “the use of digital
technologies to change a business model and provide
new revenue and value-producing opportunities; it is
the process of moving to a digital business”. In another
release, the firm explained it as an “emerging business
model that includes the extension and support of
electronic channels, content and transactions”.
To summarise, digitalisation means taking paper-based
documents, records and processes, and transforming
them into digital formats. These are more effective,
secure and smart than traditional manual processes.
Through digitalisation, business can also increase the
value of their data and drive down costs.
So, there are a clear benefits to undertaking
digitalisation, but how many businesses are actually
proceeding with the trend? Let’s take a look at the
insurance industry. A Gartner study found that
digitalisation (along with mobile apps) accounted for
a third of the publicly announced IT initiatives of the
world’s 25 biggest insurers. That was in 2014, and it’s
telling of the usefulness of the trend.
Before going into the business benefits, there’s one
other point that needs to be clarified, something
that can be easily confused: the difference between
digitalisation and digitisation. These two terms are
often used interchangeably, but it’s important to note
they mean two different things.
While digitalisation can transform businesses, helping
to unlock the value of data through application,
digitisation is merely the process of converting items
into a digital format (whether this is documents or
manual processes). Businesses need to go beyond
simply converting analogue information into a digital
alternative; they need to transform data and traditional
processes.
What can digitalisation do for your business?
It’s time to take a closer look at digitalisation
and explore what it can do for a business on the
transformation journey. Whilst transforming analogue
documents and processes into digital equivalents is
the core of the term, when broken down there are a
number of tangible benefits for the business. Here
are four top benefits for businesses who embrace
digitalisation:
1) Optimise for digital
Digital business is here; there’s no getting around the
fact. Digitalisation allows companies to do more than
simply replicate analogue processes online, however,
it means optimising these dated processes in order to
increase revenue and make them more capable.
For example, transforming an analogue process may
involve adding workflow while simultaneously reducing
the need for handling, and enabling further mobile
interactions. It boils down to simply adding capability
and simplicity.
2) Reduce costs
At a basic level, digitalisation can significantly reduce
costs. This is most noticeable when transforming paper-
based documents and processes, as there’s no longer
a need to manage the security, storage and eventual
archival of physical documents. All information is stored
in a secure digital system. Even if you still have to save
and store the hard copy documentation, the benefits

3. you will gain from being able to audit and track your
information in an automated way are tangible.
This is noticeable when it comes to staff time, as
workers will be freed to tackle other tasks, whether
that’s time saved when processing documents or simply
retrieving the right information. After all, everyone
understands the pain of trawling through file cabinets.
Having information in a digital format means that the
information is only a click away.
3) Promote staff flexibility
It’s an open secret that, for many organisations,
business processes are still stuck in the dark ages. This
can have a significant impact on how staff get work
done. Document archival is one prominent example, as
companies rely on massive file cabinets to lock away
older information. In another example, companies may
rely on physical phones and desktops day to day, all of
which needs to be optimised as much as possible.
With digitalisation, these processes are transformed
into modern, capable equivalents. Documents are no
longer restricted to a heavy file cabinet, but stored
in an easily accessible system (from any device) and
staff can work from anywhere with laptops and smart
phones safely integrated into your infrastructure.
4) Improve continuity
Finally, digitalisation is a powerful way of ensuring
business continuity. It’s easy to see how analogue
processes are at risk of being compromised, when
there is no back up in place and security is rarely a
consideration. Once again, digitalisation means taking
these older processes and transforming them into
smarter digital equivalents. In that case, security and
continuity are far easier to manage.
These are just four of the stand out benefits of
digitalisation, and there are numerous others. In
most cases, these are universal improvements that
companies can gain access to.
Now it’s time to look ahead.
Beginning the transformation
Digitalisation is no longer an experimental approach
that businesses are toying with, it’s a powerful way of
transforming business operations, driving down costs
and unlocking the value of data. It’s also an accessible
trend; this isn’t something only the largest enterprises
can access, it actually helps more organisations to scale
and compete.
While “going digital” can seem daunting, especially
as digitalisation will impact every area of the
business, action now is necessary in order to avoid
being overtaken by competitors. As more and more
businesses start to realise the value of the process, and
begin the transforming, other companies will be left
struggling to catch up.
Nigel Fenwick, Forrester research vice president,
explained at the CMO-CIO Customer Experience
Breakfast that organisations failing to make the digital
transition will either be acquired by firms that have
already done so, or go out of business. It’s a sobering
thought and highlights the need to act sooner rather
than later.
Digitalisation with an expert provider
In conclusion, it is now time to start thinking seriously
about digitalisation, especially given the significant
opportunities this presents for organisations. Of
course, many businesses will be stuck, figuring out
exactly how to jump start the process. This is where a
trusted third party comes into play, a provider that can
handle the initial consultation to figure out how the
transformation will be undertaken and subsequently
manage the process.
Fuji Xerox Australia is one such provider, and can
carry out the transformation for companies small or
large. Digitalisation is here, the opportunities can’t be
ignored. Speak to Fuji Xerox today to find out how to
bring your business into the 21st century.

4. About Fuji Xerox Australia
For schools that require a partner when it comes to
multichannel communications, Fuji Xerox Australia is
the answer.
We’re a leading provider of numerous solutions for
businesses and education institutions throughout
Australia, with a key focus on leading communications
solutions. With a multichannel solution from Fuji
Xerox Australia, schools can ramp up attraction and
enrolment, raise revenue from additional sources such
as fundraising and ensure that all communication is in
support of the school brand.
Communication doesn’t have to be difficult, and with
the right initiatives it can be used to fully support
schools at all levels.
Xerox, Xerox and Design, as well as Fuji Xerox and Design are registered trademarks
or trademarks of Xerox Corporation in Japan and/or other countries.
Sources
http://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/digitalization
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2649419
https://www.gartner.com/doc/3022022?srcId=1-
2819006590&pcp=itg
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/advice/
digitisation/benefits-of-digitisation
To find out more about our range of IT Services & Enterprise Software contact us
on 13 14 12 or visit our website www.fujixerox.com.au/solutions/itservices