There is an obvious hype around the term “Digital Transformation” for quite some time now and it starts to  become a kind of catchword for almost anything associated with our new connected, social media oriented world.

The term refers to the changes associated with the application of digital technology in all aspects of human society, and points out that digital usages inherently enable new types of innovation and creativity in a particular domain, rather than just simply enhancing and supporting the traditional methods.

Due to the digital business transformation and the associated fusion of markets in particular, the pressure to act is growing. Companies have to realize the opportunity for change of business and distribution models to meet the circumstances of the time and face the fact that the digital transformation creates new business opportunities, new markets and new competitive situations. Only with improved processes and IT systems, companies can meet these challenges, which is why Product Information Management (PIM) systems are integrated into the IT landscape to support existing systems when addressing the challenges.

Besides “Digital Transformation” the following trends are in our opinion worth to keep an eye on as well in 2016:

• Internationality and Globalization: In 2016, the expansion on international markets will continue to play a huge role in many enterprises, making a multilingual product information a prerequisite for a globalization strategy. An important success factor is here again the speed, efficiency and quality of the data. A PIM system helps to control and manage the country-specific product data by doing translations partly automated and workflow-controlled, besides maintaining the accuracy of the data.

• Individualization: Prospects and customers expect more and more an individualized and differentiated form of address - specifically tailored to each situation - whereby the product communication plays an important role for sales success. PIM systems provide the ability to address different target groups in a distinguished way, regardless of the touchpoint.

• Omnichannel Commerce: Driven by digitization, the number of customer contact points will rise in 2016 and the years to come. PIM systems are here again the solution, providing the ability to manage data centrally and media-neutral, besides coping with the rising complexity efficiently. How efficient the impact of product communication in different markets will be, will be seen over time.

Whatever your point of view, be aware that networking is of the essence in business management and inevitably leads to change. It is just not always immediately obvious where it takes place and what the consequences will be. Figuring this out is in fact the true challenge and we hope we will be able to spur on your train of thoughts, by having chosen “Digital Transformation” as the main topic for Asian eMarketing this February.

By Daniela La Marca