Bridging the EU's Digital Divide with Innovative Low Code and AI

It’s becoming alarmingly commonplace that organisations with lofty ambitions for digital transformation are failing to meet their own expectations. The European Commission’s latest State of the Digital Decade report reveals exactly this. It raises a critical question: why is there a disconnect between strategic planning and execution for so many organisations?

The global market for digital transformation technologies and services is expected to reach $3.9 trillion by 2027. Yet, 70% of these initiatives fail to achieve their goals - again highlighting a gap between the desire to innovate and the ability to execute successfully. The willingness to invest and innovate is clear, but many organisations lack the necessary capabilities to bring their digital transformation strategies to fruition.

To further highlight the problem, many European companies did not meet the 75% target set by the EU for adopting AI, cloud computing, and big data technologies. Looking towards 2030, the projections are concerning: only 64% of the population is expected to use cloud services, 50% to utilise big data, and a mere 17% to adopt AI. These figures suggest that while companies are investing in these technologies, the rate of adoption is not keeping pace with expectations. To address this, the EU aims to incentivise faster technology adoption among enterprises and increase private investment. These efforts are essential to enhance competitiveness, foster innovation, and drive efficiency and growth.

A regular misconception among organisations is viewing digital transformation as a short-term IT project that can be completed within a few quarters. However, successful digital transformation is a continuous, ongoing process that requires the right people, skills, and platforms. Most importantly, it demands a robust change management strategy. Without a comprehensive approach that integrates technology with organisational culture and processes, many companies are at risk of joining the 70% failure rate.

This article explores how your company can avoid the pitfalls of digital transformation and successfully achieve the EU's Digital Decade goals. By understanding the challenges and adopting a strategic management approach, organisations can ensure they are well-positioned to thrive in the digital age.

Pioneering change with tactical management

Digital transformation projects tend to fail simply because of a lack of a change management framework. When executing digital transformation, businesses must adopt a disciplined strategy that is expressly geared toward helping people fully understand and embrace business changes.

Organisations that use a change management plan are six times more likely to accomplish their objectives. Unfortunately, many initiatives begin on a bad start, either because there is no plan in place or because digital transformation is viewed only as an IT chore.

Successful digital transformations necessitate the establishment of cross-functional teams that approach challenges holistically and take into account the relationships between people, portfolios, processes, and platforms. A holistic strategy by cross-functional teams helps to avoid costly expenditures on separate technologies. This ensures that initiatives are aligned with wider corporate goals, considerably increasing the chance of success.

Organisations may successfully negotiate the complexity of digital transformation and accomplish long-term, meaningful change by cultivating a collaborative and strategic alignment culture. However, no approach, no matter how effective, will achieve the intended goals on its own. Organisations also require outstanding technology to help them get to the finish line. Enter low-code.

Benefits of low-code

Low-code platforms can help expedite digital transformation initiatives. They not only accelerate the production of critical final applications for staff, but also assure their dependability and consistency. According to 451, low-code platforms may cut app development time by 90%, hence accelerating digital transformation.

The development process is accelerated by low-code's emphasis on visual modelling. Rather than manually coding each step, organisations may define application logic and workflows by graphically developing process and application models. This graphical approach makes it easier to conceptualise complicated processes and iterate quickly on design decisions. As a result, the digital transformation time cycle is greatly decreased, allowing teams to adapt to changing business requirements faster.

Low-code platforms also enable the modernisation of outdated systems, the development of new core applications, and incremental upgrades. They let you construct new programs on top of old systems, resulting in easier transitions and fewer replacements. Finally, low-code platforms make digital transformation more accessible and managed by offering a flexible and effective method for improving operational procedures and user experiences.

However, digital transformation will stagnate unless the whole staff of your business has the necessary skills to carry it out.

Upskilling your workforce

As organisations navigate the AI age, their commitment to raising productivity and improving the developer experience is reassuring, particularly in terms of digital transformation.

Integrating AI with an enterprise-grade low-code platform has the potential to change IT companies and teams. This method not only makes digital transformation smarter and faster, but it also emphasises the need for cooperation that a change management strategy will facilitate. It allows teams to focus on problem solving using widely available tools rather than constantly training in new technology.

According to PwC, job postings, AI skills are growing at 3.5 times the rate of other jobs. While this is encouraging, executives must explore how AI might assist businesses bridge the skills gap for digital transformation. Organisations that participate in AI upskilling may remain competitive, adapt to changing market requirements, and fully capitalise on the benefits of their digital transformation initiatives, fostering a culture of continuous learning and advancement.

Lead the digital charge

Digital transformation is a critical and unavoidable journey for modern businesses. However, success depends on more than just adopting the latest technologies. Integrating AI with low-code platforms and investing in employee education are important steps. Yet, companies must also focus on developing a thorough change management plan. By fostering cross-departmental cooperation and using the right platforms, organisations can significantly improve their chances of achieving their transformation goals. Embracing low-code solutions and committing to AI upskilling enables companies to navigate the complexities of digital transformation and drive significant, long-term improvements.