How the Quarantine Economy is Prompting The Digital Transformation in PH

The novel coronavirus has clearly affected businesses of all sizes in the country and any parts of the world. It challenged enterprises to modify their operations and survive from the possible risks of the pandemic. And while we are gradually trying to pull through, there is one factor that businesses have started embracing during and after this pandemic is over – digital transformation.

The digital transformation is the integration of digital technology in the business, fundamentally changing how you deliver value to the customers and meet the changing market requirements.

Eastern Communications, one of the premier telecommunications companies in the Philippines, believes that adopting digital transformation is a strategic approach for businesses during this time, and even beyond.

“Digital transformation is already upon us, way before COVID-19 happened. However, it was not recognized as crucial for the business operations than it is now,” shared Eastern Communications Product and Innovation Head Edsel Paglinawan.

The outbreak has changed our way of living and businesses might now have to take a second look at transforming their workplace or it will fail in the long run.

Understanding the new normal

Most of the people are currently stuck at home, relying on their gadgets, devices, and data connection to get the information or things they want. Some businesses are forced to go digital, and usual activities like ordering food, paying bills, watching movies, shopping for essentials are now preferably done at your fingertips.

According to Paglinawan, the current situation serves as a heads up for many businesses to meet certain requirements of their customers not only during this time but even after the quarantine. People will soon change the way they do things and companies will have to adapt to the ‘new normal’.
“Companies that instigated digital transformation are having competitive advantage in their respective industries. It allows companies to adjust to the situation better versus a company that has not gone through their digital transformation journey. A company who is digitally prepared would have systems and processes in place, that would help them react and adapt better,” he stressed.

While working from home will be seen as the new normal in the workplace, companies should also look deeper into investing in cloud technologies more than ever. Cloud is an on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage, available over the internet that allows work efficiency and collaboration within the organization. This can prevent organizations from disruptions even in challenging situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

For years, Eastern Communications has been supporting businesses to harness the potential of digital innovation. This includes encouraging cloud-first strategy. Eastern Cloud, for example, is one of the company’s ICT solutions that aims to foster work efficiency and agility in a secured environment.

Involving the organization

Digital transformation is a combination of technological and organizational change.

Although digitizing processes is an indicator of business transformation, organizational change management plays a big part in the success of business innovation.

“Digital transformation is not just about the integration of the technology to the business operation or methods, but also about how the organization adapt and react to the changes it may have caused,” said Paglinawan.

More than gaining profit through automation, companies should consider a more skills-based model in which technology is judged according to its ability to augment the capabilities of workers.

COVID-19 outbreak is expected to last for a long period of time in the country, and it will change our everyday routine to a greater extent than it normally was. Embracing the digital transformation will help businesses in the Philippines to improve their competency and achieve their goals even when the pandemic subsides.

To learn more about Eastern Communications’ services, visit eastern.com.ph.