While going through digital transformation, companies must also dare to look beyond their boundaries. That’s the starting point for Idalko.
Idalko’s 40 employees work in Belgium, the Netherlands and France on projects for Brussels Airport and Fluvius, among others. ‘We support companies, primarily looking closely at how they work. If you don’t understand the business, you won’t be able to provide appropriate support’, says managing director Manuel Pattyn. Since it was founded in 2011, Idalko has helped hundreds of companies through their digital transformation, whereby Pattyn often omits the word ‘digital’. ‘That’s just a tool.’
Step by step
Providing good consulting and generating support among employees right from the start, Idalko aims to change a company’s mindset. ‘You first have to focus on the people, then on the processes and only after that on the tools. The preliminary process – figuring out what a company specifically needs – requires the most effort. Once you’ve done that, you can start looking for or creating digital solutions.’
‘Consider, for example, the onboarding of a new employee. In many cases, this involves a lot of different departments, scheduling meetings and sending emails. By writing down a process step by step, you can find out which stages can be made more efficient and which digital tools can help.’
Applications can support work, optimize processes and consolidate data. ‘With that data, everyone has a good overview and knows what is planned and what the associated costs are. That way you avoid things like status meetings, and you can benefit from data-driven decision-making.’
Take the lead
The skills needed to work with digital applications are not available in every organization. ‘It is important for everyone to see what they can gain from the transformation. While employees rarely get an explanation of a new tool or way of working, it is imperative to generate awareness before you even start your project. Using internal newsletters, you can inform staff what will change, while workshops can be used to seek input. Afterwards, you have to invest in training.’
Mediafin’s and Vlerick’s Take The Lead in Digital, a programme providing professionals with 10 weeks of insights into technology and innovation, is a great example, according to Pattyn. Idalko is partnering the initiative. ‘The collaboration was a no-brainer. One of the sessions is about automation, a logical consequence of the work we do. It’s a way for you to avoid routine work and save costs.’
Digital transformation can also be extended to customers and suppliers, says Pattyn. For example, if a customer has a complaint, they can enter it into an online portal. It is then automatically investigated and, if necessary, passed on to the supplier’s system, where it appears in their ticketing system. This flow of information is not blocked because someone forgot to forward an email. That boosts customer satisfaction.
By writing down a process step by step, you can find out which stages can be made more efficient and which digital tools can help.
Manuel Pattyn, Managing director Idalko