Digital Transformation Partner – How to Choose One | Friends of Commerce
Looking for a partner to guide you through the digital noise? Enlisting a digital transformation partner can be the greatest ROI boost you can give your business.
What is a Digital Transformation Partner?
A digital transformation partner serves as a strategic guide in modernizing businesses through technology. This partnership goes far beyond simple technology implementation – it’s about evolving your business processes to meet the digital age.
Let’s explain why this need for a “partner” is essential…
Because today’s B2B buyers expect the similar seamless digital experiences they expect from B2C retailers, it’s time for online stores to adopt the digital self-service model and facilitate remote interactions. This shift demands more than just a functional ecommerce site—it requires a complete digital transformation of how businesses serve their customers.
Digital transformation partners help remove friction from the buying process and reduce manual processes, so employees’ strengths can be used strategically in the business instead for rote work. This involves more than just flipping a switch, like changing your hosting platform or adding an email marketing sequence.
Digital transformation in B2B eCommerce goes beyond simply moving sales online. It’s a comprehensive evolution that includes this and more:
- Streamlining complex ordering processes
- Integrating systems across your organization
- Automating manual workflows
- Creating personalized buying experiences
- Implementing data-driven decision making
In the realm of eCommerce, digital transformation involves replacing traditional, manual processes with efficient, automated solutions that help you sell more products and connect better with customers.
This creates a better experience for customers and gets them to the finish line faster.
Successful digital transformation isn’t just about implementing new technology – it’s about evolving, advancing, and improving how a business operates in order to meet the changing customer expectations.
Why You Need a Partner
A digital transformation partner helps mid-market B2B companies navigate this change, ensuring that new systems and processes align with business goals and staff capabilities.
It’s not just a set it or forget it scenario. The technology landscape is changing faster than ever. A true partner provides ongoing strategic guidance, training, and support throughout the transformation journey, helping businesses not just modernize, but truly evolve for the digital age.
This evolution is ongoing, as digital transformation partners help businesses stay current with emerging technologies and changing customer expectations.
Here are the top considerations when finding a digital transformation partner:
Are They Up-to-Date With Trends
While many discuss trends, what matters is translating these capabilities into tangible results: increased sales and revenue, improved customer relations, and streamlined operations.
Effective B2B companies don’t chase trends—they strategically adopt technologies that deliver measurable value and competitive advantage.
Are you ready for AI, machine learning, and automation? AI is advancing and changing almost daily and is wholly changing the way buyers identify partners and products . It is critical to have a partner that stays a step ahead of the latest trends and can decipher what’s important and what is just noise.
Like a medical device manufacturer that builds an easy to use portal for healthcare organizations to utilize, the focus should always be on practical applications that make things easier for the end customer and you.
Proven Track Record
Here’s the thing about experience – it’s not just about how many years someone’s been in the game, it’s about the battles they’ve won.
Your ideal partner should have concrete examples of how they’ve helped businesses like yours transform their digital presence. We’re talking about specific results: increased conversion rates, improved customer satisfaction scores, actual revenue growth.
These aren’t just numbers on a page; they’re proof that your partner knows how to turn digital strategies into real-world success.
Communication Skills
The best digital transformation partner should make complex tech talk feel like a conversation with a knowledgeable colleague.
They should be able to explain technical concepts in ways that matter to your business – not just what the technology does, but how it’s going to help your bottom line.
When they talk about implementing new systems or processes, you should walk away feeling informed and confident, not confused or overwhelmed.
Flexibility
Let’s talk about something that often gets overlooked when choosing a digital transformation partner: flexibility. This isn’t just about being easy to work with – it’s about having a partner who can adapt their approach to fit your unique business needs.
Think about it: your ecommerce business isn’t exactly like any other, so why would you want a one-size-fits-all digital solution? The right partner should approach your business like a custom tailor approaches a suit – measuring twice, understanding your specific needs, and crafting solutions that fit your business perfectly.
True flexibility means your partner isn’t married to a rigid playbook or set of predetermined solutions.
Instead, they should start by diving deep into understanding what makes your business tick. What are your pain points? What sets you apart from competitors? What’s your company culture like? These insights should shape every aspect of your digital transformation strategy.
Here’s what matters: your digital transformation partner should be ready to pivot when circumstances change (and they will), adjust strategies based on real-world results, and scale solutions as your business grows.
They should be able to balance best practices with innovative approaches that address your specific challenges.
Remember, you’re not just implementing new technology – you’re evolving your business for the digital age.
And that evolution needs to happen on your terms, at a pace that makes sense for your organization, with solutions that align with your goals. A truly flexible partner will guide this journey while ensuring every step forward is one that serves your business’s unique needs.
ROI Centric Strategists
Let’s cut through the noise and talk about what really matters – return on investment. Because at the end of the day, your digital transformation needs to do more than just modernize your business – it needs to drive real, measurable growth.
Think of ROI-focused transformation as your GPS for business success. Every digital initiative, whether it’s revamping your ecommerce platform or automating your inventory management, should have a clear destination: improved business performance.
Seek a digital transformation partner that sets these kinds of measurable goals and reports on them regularly.
Management Capabilities
Let’s be real about something – implementing new technology is actually the easy part. The real challenge?
It’s getting your team on board and reshaping how your business operates day-to-day. Digital transformation is as much about people as it is about pixels.
The most successful digital transformations happen when technology, people, and processes align. Your partner should be as skilled at managing change and supporting your team as they are at implementing technical solutions. Because at the end of the day, digital transformation isn’t just about updating your technology – it’s about evolving your entire business for the digital age, with your people leading the charge.
How to Choose the Right Digital Transformation Partner to Get the Right People at the Right Place at the Right Time
A quality Digital Transformation Partner doesn’t just parachute in with a solution; they work collaboratively with your team to ensure that key stakeholders and end-users are involved from the get-go. This approach not only increases the chances of success but also helps maintain productivity during the transition.
A great partner should have a clear strategy for user involvement at every stage. They might propose methods like user interviews, workshops, or even shadowing sessions to truly understand the day-to-day realities of your team.
A good partner should have experience in creating clear, informative, and visually appealing reports that keep all stakeholders on the same page.
Remember, the right Digital Transformation Partner should be more than just a vendor – they should be a true collaborator in your transformation journey. They should bring a wealth of experience, a user-centric approach, strong communication skills, and the ability to support your project with a range of supplemental skills.
Streamlining Business Process With Digital Transformation
Choosing an implementation partner doesn’t have to be difficult, but you should make sure they’re a strong cultural fit as well as a technical fit. They should be able to engage in – and advise your firm through – practically every stage of implementing a new (or upgraded) system. As a member of your implementation team, they should be able to accomplish it almost flawlessly.
Ready to get started? Tell us a little bit about your company, the challenges you are looking to solve, and we’ll be in touch right away. Follow our blog and subscribe to our communications for more tips and trends on digital transformation and B2B commerce.
