The Top 5 Digital Adoption Predictions for 2021
Nobody truly possesses a crystal ball that sees into the future, but here at WalkMe, our passion is digital adoption. With a finger on the pulse of this growing category, we are thrilled to present our Top 5 Digital Adoption Predictions for 2021.
#1 Digital Adoption Platforms (DAP) will be used across organizations’ entire tech stack
Gartner predicts that, “by 2025, 70% of organizations will use digital adoption solutions across the entire technology stack to overcome still insufficient application user experiences.”
While 2025 isn’t so far away, we already see this prediction taking shape. More and more companies are turning to digital adoption platforms (DAPs) for multiple use-cases within their companies.
Once seen primarily as a training tool for select applications, 2021 DAP is a holistic solution that can be applied from employee engagement and productivity to software tracking and analytics.
#2 Digital Adoption Platform professionals will become a mainstream vocation
The new role of DAP professionals is booming. As more companies are acquiring digital adoption solutions, they require the right folks to implement and create top-notch user experiences for both employees and customers.
Becoming a DAP professional is far easier than it was even a year ago. As awareness of digital adoption spreads, the recent launch of WalkMe’s Digital Adoption Institute is helping to create a new generation of DAP professionals. The Institute offers different levels of certification, complete with a growing job board highlighting international positions.
With DAP certification more accessible and talented individuals looking to change their career paths, 2021 will see a significant rise in DAP professionals.
#3 Digital adoption will expand into diverse industries
COVID-19 was an intense and unexpected global disruption. Industries like food, retail and banking that traditionally catered to customers face-to-face, now had to accelerate their digital offerings to keep their doors open. The advent of new technology required internal and external users to acclimate – fast.
Moving into 2021, DAP will be a more sought after solution for businesses undergoing digital transformation and who need to make their software more accessible.
#4 Automation will be an an IT must
According to the CIO Outlook for 2021 report, IT departments are focused on implementing automation efforts within their organizations. As more employees are working remotely and IT departments have been stretched thin, automation technologies like DAP and robotic process automation (RPA) can streamline workflows and processes to empower employees and organizations alike.
CIOs and IT leaders have already started investing in automation efforts to ensure a more friction-less 2021.
#5 Unifying the digital employee experience with the digital customer experience
The focus on user experience is becoming increasingly important, and today’s customers are not the same pre-COVID. Consumers are more experimental, as McKinsey notes, with 75% of US consumers trying a new shopping behavior in response to economic pressures, store closings, and changing priorities.
Customers of all different ages and backgrounds expect faster, intuitive, and easy-to-access digital experiences. This also extends to the digital employee experience. Employees need to have the same accessibility as their users to ensure stellar service. Digital adoption platforms bridge this gap with internal and external capabilities to improve UX, expedite customer service, enable self-service and minimize tedious digital processes.
2021 will see companies acquiring digital adoption platforms as a way to unify employee and customer digital experiences.
2021 – Better prepared for what’s to come
Reeling from 2020, individuals, companies and governments now have a better sense of how to future-proof 2021. While nothing is for certain, digital adoption will be a more widely used asset for organizations of all different types, resulting in satisfying user experiences and getting the most out of software.
