Digital transformation has been a popular topic for businesses in recent years, as the need to digitize has become increasingly apparent. However, the term itself is fairly nebulous and can mean different things to different people. In its simplest form, digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new or improved business processes, products, or services. However, it can also be much more complex, involving a complete overhaul of an organization’s business model in order to better compete in the digital age. There are a number of different digital transformation technology and tools available to businesses, each of which can play a role in driving transformation.

Hyperautomation

When business process automation(with BPMS), application integration (with microservices), and Decision Management( with DMN) are put together, the result is called Hyperautomation. Hyperautomation is process automation that runs on an automation platform and exists on top of legacy systems and interfaces. It uses automated decisions to make decisions that humans were required to make. Hyperautomation uses traditional BPMS software for those parts where human steps are needed. Hyperautomation can be called pervasive automation, as it takes into account all the aspects of automation – the goal is to automate as much as possible. A vital implementation element of hyperautomation is the ability to automate business rules and decisions by a business without the participation of IT. Shortening the time of process realization, lowering operating costs, and the ability to calculate KPIs are the main advantages indicated by our clients. Our clients find that DMN notation with built-in decision tables (similar to Microsoft Excel) allows them to stay ahead of the competition in adapting processes to market requirements.

Web and Mobile Applications

It’s not just about the product or service anymore; it’s about the whole consumer experience with your company. Your consumer may now contact you in various ways, including in-person, online, and on mobile devices. Are you multichannel, but not omnichannel? How can you guarantee that every interaction with a consumer is a seamless brand experience?

When our customers build an Omnichannel strategy, they use several technics and technologies:

Microservice Architectures on Kubernetes

Our customer study shows that 73 percent of respondents agree that microservice architecture made implementing digital transformation strategies easier. Having Kubernetes rooted within an enterprise software platform can help providers fast-track the introduction of new software features and capabilities to the market, therefore, into customers’ hands. In return, firms may swiftly react to changes in the market and regulatory environment and even use that agility to gain a competitive edge by beating competitors to market or correcting course faster.

When you think about digital transformation initiatives, you should consider the below topics and technology:

  • create Kubernetes multi-cloud environments with AWS, Azure, and GCP
  • create on-prem Kubernetes environments with Openshift/OKD and Rancher
  • setup logging, monitoring, audits, and alerts on Kubernetes with Grafana, Prometheus, and ELK Stack
  • develop new enterprise apps using cloud development with Spring, Quarkus, and Angular
  • setup DevOps practices with Jenkins, GitLab, Helm, Kustomize, and Bazel

Cybersecurity Mesh

A perfect storm has formed due to the increasing expansion and complexity of cyberattacks and the shift of assets to the hybrid multi-cloud. IT professionals must use a composable and scalable cybersecurity mesh architecture strategy to integrate security solutions into a cooperative ecosystem.

We consider the Keycloak platform the brain of cybersecurity mesh architecture. You can use Keycloak to provide:

  • extend security controls to widely distributed assets
  • identity management for human and „non-human”
  • consolidation of policy management
  • single sign-on (SSO)
  • identity brokering (external OpenID Connect, SAML Identity, Kerberos)
  • one-stop centralized authorization solution for all apps(permission and UMA based)
  • multifactor authentication(webauthn, TOTP/HOTP, SMS etc.)

Enterprise Content Management

The trend is clear: software suppliers are fast migrating to the cloud, and CIOs are busy designing their cloud strategy. Some businesses implement cloud solutions more quickly than others, but most ultimately desire to use content services. Files and documents are just a tiny fraction of the overall data that businesses must handle. Structural data is equally as essential as non-structured data, such as content, and it must be handled in conjunction with it. As a result, we refer to intelligent information management rather than document management or enterprise content management.

We handle all of the business data with one open-sourced solution, the Nuxeo Platform. Customer deployments show that our Nuxeo services are best when you plan to:

  • modernize existing ECM
  • consolidate and migrate all ECMs into one platform
  • manage, access, and use all of your documents, rich media, and digital assets
  • accelerate product development
  • implement ECM in hybrid-cloud architecture

API Management

Innovation is a topic of conversation in almost every organization, but co-innovation is a related topic that is sometimes overlooked. Co-innovation is the concept that enterprises can unlock powerful business innovation by partnering with external organizations.

APIs have become the de-facto standard for developing and integrating modern apps. They provide a standardized interface that hides backend complexity and enables enterprises to encrypt, monitor, and regulate how their shared digital assets are utilized.

You’ll require an API Management solution when you collaborate with partners(external organizations) who use your APIs. At Inteca, we evaluated many API Management platforms and chose open-sourced WSO2 API Management. It helped many of our customers to:

  • lower cost of new partner integration (63% of cost decrease).
  • decrease integration time with a new partner (appx. 3 days)
  • standardize partner onboarding process.
  • establish a business monitoring system for the operations of partners (based on automated KPI calculation)
  • consolidate and standardize an approach to secure APIs
  • introduce a self-service portal for partners.
  • decrease IT operational costs (support for OpenTelemetry standards and issue management)

Conclusion

Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new — or modify existing — business processes, products, and services. The goal of digital transformation is to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and agility while reducing costs. Many different digital transformation technologies and tools are available to businesses, including hyperautomation, web and mobile applications, microservice architectures on Kubernetes, cybersecurity mesh, enterprise content management, and API management. Each of these digital transformation technologies and tools can help businesses in different ways. For example, hyperautomation can help businesses automate processes and decisions, while web and mobile applications can help businesses improve the customer experience. Microservice architectures on Kubernetes can help businesses quickly introduce new software features and capabilities to the market, while cybersecurity mesh can help businesses protect their data in the hybrid multi-cloud. Enterprise content management can help businesses manage their content more effectively, while API management can help businesses partner with external organizations and innovate more effectively.

Daniel Kowal

A respected Enterprise and IT Architect with over 20 years of experience specializing in the finance, banking, and insurance sectors. My expertise includes enterprise architecture, IT architecture, security, process automation, IT integration, artificial intelligence, and microservices architecture. Innovative approach and dedication to aligning IT systems with business objectives have transformed digital landscapes and optimized performance for numerous organizations.