Benefits of digitisation for SMBs too good to ignore

By Luke Hamman - Head of SMB, Docusign Australia

Our recent “Discovering Docusign for SMBs” event in Sydney generated lively discussion about the reasons to go digital. Some are driven by the customer experience whilst others simply see it as the most efficient way to do business. Whatever the motivation, most agree the benefits of digitisation cannot be ignored.

It’s a fair call. A study from Deloitte found that digitally mature companies produce 13% more revenue and are 50% more profitable than those lagging behind (Source: MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte’s 2015 Global Study of Digital Business). They also have a 19% higher market valuation.

It’s not just the cost savings driving the success of digitally savvy companies. They’re redesigning the way they engage customers and in many ways changing the way business gets done.

Small steps towards bigger pay off

Of course, not all companies dive right in to digital transformation. We’re often approached by SMBs that simply want to remove paper or speed up a time-consuming process. Then, after implementing Docusign, they see the benefits and want to automate more.

The full transformation comes when companies adopt a customer and digital first approach. Processes and service are made fast and efficient and transactions more mobile. That’s where we see the broadest benefits when it comes to the customer experience and the time and cost of doing business.

Keeping pace with digital demand  

For AIME and Kelly + Partners, there’s no question of the value digital brings to SMBs. We were lucky to have both companies represented on the panel for our event.

The panel kicked off with a discussion on rising expectations for friction-free service, both online and via the mobile.

Daniel Chiha, Client Director at Kelly + Planners, spoke about the simplicity of being able to hail a cab or order food from a mobile phone. “All these things can be done via an app today and it’s changing client expectations. They don’t want the hassle that comes with life admin so anything that cuts through that is a win,” he said.

Daniel has experienced this firsthand with the integrated financial advisory firm using Docusign to speed execution of clients’ business activity statements (BAS). Clients can now sign these digitally rather than print, sign, scan and return. Daniel said it was a complete game changer for the firm. Clients are not only signing faster but sending in feedback on their awesome experience.

Natalie Savell, IT Systems Manager at AIME, said that keeping pace with stakeholders’ digital expectations was key but that going digital was more a necessity than a choice. “As a not-for-profit, we’re thin on the ground. We need to be clever about how we use technology to save time and costs.”

The innovative charity has completely digitised recruitment and onboarding of the 50 part-time staff it brings on each year. Candidates complete an application on the Friday, interview the week following and then start on the Monday.

Natalie says the streamlined process sets the pace for what’s to come. The dynamic organisation moves quickly and needs everyone to keep up.

For those who missed the event but would like to hear more, we’ve got you covered. You can find the video highlights here