3. Biz Network July August 2021 65-100.qxp_Chamberlink 30/06/2021 11:42 Page 82
DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY
How the Digitial Upscaler programme can help you Digital transformation used to be a very “corporate” phrase, focused on significant system and process change, as well as equally significant investment challenges. But today, it’s a necessity for businesses of any size, says Jason Roper (pictured), digital technology adviser for the Chamber’s Digital Upscaler programme. He explains how it feeds into the mid-pandemic themes of agile working and online engagement using the example of a business he recently supported.
recent Harvard Business Review survey reported 81% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the ability to rapidly adopt new technologies, and embed them in their employees’ everyday work, was a competitive differentiator in their industry. Organisations have reshaped their workforce, overturned age-old business models, and embraced digital technologies, from chatbots to blockchain, in response to the pandemic. A March 2020 survey of 2,000 adults by Sykes Enterprises found that 60% said Covid-19 made them more likely to consider using workplace-provided health services in the future and that number has pretty much played out. The physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing of employees and management is also a primary key to business success in these changing and challenging times. Informing and including the use of wellbeing technology needs to be an important factor of any current and future digital transformation plan.
A
HEALTH AND WELLBEING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS A GAME CHANGER The Digital Upscaler programme supports, advises and drives SMEs to design, develop and deliver digital transformation via workshops and one-to-one specialist digital technology advisers including myself. We use a holistic approach to being a “critical friend”, taking a pragmatic approach to helping deploy a robust long-term digital strategy, driving knowledge to ensure businesses make an 82
business network July/August 2021
informed and considered decision about any technology change or investment, of which elements of health and wellbeing are inclusive. Take Game Changer Performance, a Derby-based company that helps professional sports stars achieve peak performance. It works alongside the Football Association and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) at England’s national football centre at St George’s Park, in Burton upon Trent. It identified this transformative opportunity of health and wellbeing in the workplace to help businesses improve the physical and mental health of workforces by enabling technology-based support and review. The company enrolled on the Digital Upscaler programme last year just as lockdown hit. It was looking for support and advice in relation to delivering a mobile application via a health and wellbeing algorithm it was in the process of developing. Game Changer felt challenged trying to understand the process of developing the algorithm into a fully functional health-screening Curve app that provided a health audit, as well as insights and analytics, at an individual level – while delivering anonymised data at departmental, regional and organisational level. Through the one-to-one support and advice offered through Digital Upscaler, it was able to improve the algorithm development process to better integrate with mobile application development and connected to another Derby business, Bloc Digital, which developed its prototype application. Jake Keeling, director of Game Changer, explains: “We wanted corporates to benefit from the same programmes that help our elite sport clients, something which would ensure their staff are better supported both with their physical and mental health to be able to perform at their absolute best. The Curve application will create a
tailored programme for every participant. It will look at their lifestyle, movement and mindset and highlight areas where support would be useful.”
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ISN’T AN OVERNIGHT PROCESS Game Changer went through a digital transformation, having a
steep learning curve on the insand-outs of application development and realising there is far more infrastructure required than “just a mobile app”. Designing that long-term digital strategy is an on-going process which is an important thing to understand. Digital transformation is a fluid process that takes time to implement. Don’t expect to transform in a few weeks. To be successful, you need to understand map and document your business end-toend process, which takes time and effort. Once you have that, you can place your current systems against the process and identify those digital transformation opportunities. If you’d like help driving your digital transformation, new product development or technology investment, enrolling with the Digital Upscaler project may be that “critical friend” you need.
HOW TO FIND OUT MORE Need digital support? Businesses can access fully-funded support via two digital programmes managed by the Chamber, the Digital Upscaler and Digital Growth Programme. Digital Upscaler, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to provide high-growth businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire with the knowledge, investment and capacity to scale up through embracing new technologies. Visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/digitalupscaler The Digital Growth Programme is designed to help SMEs located in Leicester and Leicestershire to improve productivity and growth using digital technology via themed action planning workshops, grants and digital advice. It is part-funded by the Chamber, ERDF and Leicestershire County Council. Visit www.leics-digital.co.uk Businesses based in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire can access similar support by visiting www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk
