6 Inspiring Digital Transformation Case Studies
True digital transformation is about more than implementing exciting, innovative new technologies. It’s about fundamentally changing the way you do business to put your organization in a position to take full advantage of those technologies. Get inspired and learn to implement real digital transformation to your business now!
We’ve put together a list of six digital transformation case studies that showcase the breadth of innovation that’s happening today among digitally-savvy organizations from startups to corporations, across a diverse range of sectors.
Digital Transformation Case Studies Which Are Bound To Impress
From the manufacturer that’s overturning the myth that robots are all about replacing human jobs to the council using open data to revolutionize refuse collection, the stories highlighted here should have something to inspire even the most technologically jaded of businesses…
Since being acquired by Tata Group in 2008, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has undergone a major transformation, fully embracing cloud technology to dramatically boost its agility and becoming our one of our top examples of digital transformation case studies. This has given it the capacity to develop a raft of innovative new products and services, among them its ‘virtual windscreen’. It uses augmented reality technology to make the sides of the car fully transparent when a driver turns their head to see behind. The front windscreen can also overlay useful driving safety information, or even project a ‘ghost car’ in front that drivers can follow rather than having to look down at a satnav. You can see a demo here.
Who says robots are going to take all of our jobs? Danish manufacturer Trelleborg, which makes precision seals for engine components, machinery and underwater structures, has to fulfil complex orders ranging from one to millions of units. Lack of space and agility was causing the small-scale specialist to lose market share to larger competitors, so the company transformed its business with the help of 42 collaborative robots. The robots have allowed Trelleborg to improve product quality, reduce the number of human operators required for each manufacturing machine from three people to one, fit more machines into the available space and become dramatically more price competitive. Within two years, the company had become so agile that its business picked up dramatically, resulting in the need to hire 50 new people to keep up with demand. See more details here.
How can cash-strapped public-sector organizations leverage the digital revolution when they don’t have the budget to invest in the latest technologies? Leeds City Council’s answer was to adopt an open data model — releasing as much data as possible openly in machine-readable formats and providing a platform for people (including third-party innovators) to develop compelling applications based on the open data. The Leeds Data Mill has accelerated the creation of a raft of new digital services for local residents that would have otherwise been unaffordable, such as the Leeds Bins app for iOS and Android devices that allows residents to quickly and easily query information about collection dates, recycling and waste management. The success of the initiative is also spreading: Leeds Data Mill is now being expanded into a regional open data platform for the whole of the north of England, Data Mill North. Now that’s an awesome digital transformation case studies example!
Retail is one of the most active sectors when it comes to digital transformation, but John Lewis has gone one step further than most by creating a startup incubator, JLab, to leverage the creativity and entrepreneurial dynamism of the most promising new retail tech innovators. Running since 2013, the incubator selects five start-ups each year and helps them bring their technologies to market. Among this year’s stars is DigitalBridge, which has developed a clever ecommerce website addon that allows shoppers to snap photos of their rooms and see what furniture and other products would look like in their own homes. It automatically detects walls and floors and creates a photorealistic virtual representation of the customer’s room, in which lighting and decor can be changed on the fly, and products can be placed, rotated and repositioned in full, realistic perspective. You can watch their original JLab pitch here.
Ignition Law is a fast-growing UK startup that’s disrupting the fiercely traditional legal profession. In contrast to the sector’s usual glitzy offices and long-hours culture, Ignition Law saw an opportunity to provide high-quality legal services at a fraction of the cost by setting up as a cloud-based business. It uses web-based collaboration tools to enable remote and flexible working for all its lawyers. This has meant that it can take advantage of the many qualified lawyers who are qualified to do top-end work but no longer want to work full time in a highly competitive and pressurized office environment (e.g. working mothers). Because of its low cost of operations, Ignition Law charges clients (many of them entrepreneurial start-ups themselves) hourly rates that are typically 50–60% lower than those of its more traditional competitors. As a result, it managed to grow the business from a standing start to almost 200 clients in under a year.
Another one of our top digital transformation case studies is GE Avionics, who manufactures precision components for jet engines. Traditionally, engineers and designers have been constrained by the strictures of the manufacturing process itself; if a part is too complex, it might require multiple components that need to be welded together — too complex and it becomes unviable. Now, the company has developed a technology it calls ‘additive manufacturing’ which allows even very complex components to be 3D printed as a single part using a technique called direct metal laser melting. To cite just one example, the company has designed a fuel nozzle that solves the problem of ‘coking’ (where a buildup of carbon deposits from spent fuel clogs up the nozzle). The new component can be printed from scratch as a single part which contains internal support ligaments and cooling pathways to eliminate coking, making the part five times more durable. Learn more here.
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Originally published at blog.100tb.com.
