More Companies Turn to SaaS Providers to Boost Digital Transformation and Document Management

With the evolution of remote work and the increasing demands for forward-thinking companies to digitize documents and automate workflows, it should shock no one that more organizations are outsourcing digital transformation to Software as a Service (SaaS) providers to stay agile in a disruptive world. And that’s exactly what is happening, according to a recent survey commissioned by Konica Minolta.

Conducted by Keypoint Intelligence and Konica Minolta, the Digital Transformation Survey found that more than half of organizations have outsourced at least a portion of their workflows to SaaS providers. For microbusinesses, the drive to create transformation can be especially painful given limited resources, making outsourcing a need—not a want. The report added:

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated numerous trends surrounding digital transformation, putting tremendous pressure on businesses to adapt remote work infrastructures and digitise their workflows. This overnight transformation has caused its share of pain points, especially among microbusinesses and SMBs that were not used to a remote infrastructure and already strapped for resources and budget.

Security fear

Not surprisingly, the survey found that respondents — 34 percent—were most concerned about data security. “The abrupt shift toward remote working and the increased reliance on digital frameworks, coupled with infrastructure and education gaps from employees and companies on handling said workflows, created an atmosphere where criminals could thrive,” the survey authors noted. In fact, four years after the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, more than a quarter of large companies and small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMB) stated that compliance with the rule is still a major challenge.

In the clouds

In addition to outsourcing workflows, more companies are outsourcing data storage. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 72 percent had adapted some form of cloud solution. Specifically, the respondents said that cloud transformation represented one of the most important aspects of their infrastructure needs in the following areas:

The survey also found many companies lag in maintaining resilient document management platforms—66 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “document storage is still not well organised.”

“Many organisations are using too many disparate platforms in their workflows, creating a plethora of opportunities for siloes and productivity obstacles,” the study notes.

For these organizations, multiple versions of documents can often be stored across multiple content platforms and line-of-business applications, causing team members to waste time searching for documents, missing deadlines due to sloppy handoffs, or risking noncompliance with client security requirements. Document management platforms that can seamlessly integrate with SharePoint, Salesforce, Google Workspace, and other content applications can solve those problems and help increase productivity and reduce risk.

A permanent trendline

The most basic finding of the survey is simple: Businesses of all sizes benefit when they outsource IT services. “We believe that the growing complexity of today’s online workplace ecosystem is not going away anytime soon, leading Keypoint Intelligence to conclude that outsourcing managed IT services will only grow more essential in the near future,” Colin McMahon, Associate Director at Keypoint Intelligence, said. He added:

“We see opportunities in this new, digitised world for businesses of all sizes, but especially for microbusinesses and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to overcome their personnel and budget shortcomings by embracing the view that not every process needs to be handled in-house. With the right combination of digital process adoption and through researched and careful partnerships, companies can enhance their digital transformation and position themselves to be more competitive in the future.”

Olaf Lorenz, Head of International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, agrees. “For companies of all sizes, there are still many hurdles to overcome in the journey to digital transformation,” he noted.

Clearly, companies that partner with SaaS providers with a proven dedication to customers, an industry-recognized track record, and information-management expertise will be positioned to experience exponential growth in ROI.

“Our study shows that many organisations have found outsourcing to be an effective tool at tackling digital transformation shortcomings in their own organisation,” Lorenz said.

“An external provider can support a company quickly and effectively with additional IT expertise and suitable IT solutions.”

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