[Digital Transformation Journey] EUCOM

//[Digital Transformation Journey] EUCOM

Adela Viezure is Business Developer & Digital Learning Specialist at EUCOM

What was the level of digitalisation in your centre before COVID-19?

We have always adapted to the realities of the world, and kept up with the latest learning technologies on the market, because it has always been clear that we can only grow and improve if we are aligned with what is happening around us. It was no accident that more than a year ago, along with our partner goFluent, we launched our Agile Learning Program, which mixes technology with the human touch. We also implemented our Course Management Platform – EUTEAM, which allows our clients to monitor, in real time, the attendance rate of their colleagues, the details of the live sessions, and their costs. So, I would say that our level of digitalisation was high even before COVID-19.

How did COVID-19 impact digital transformation of your company?

COVID-19 has radically changed the world we live in and the companies we work for. Agile is becoming the new normal. If before the pandemic there were doubts about the necessity of digital transformation, now with most interactions taking place online, digital is the only way to go. COVID-19 has accelerated a digital transformation that was already taking place in our company, it made us become more data driven, more adaptable, and eager to search for the best solutions. Shifting our mindset, it made us more resourceful and aware of what our clients need and want, and more result oriented. We understand that things change fast. That is why learning is a process that must always take place, regardless of the hardships, because only by learning can we keep up with what is happening in the world.

What type of processes did you digitalise in the last 2 months?

The first words that come to mind are – “most of them”. We have fully digitalized our foreign language courses, our sales processes, our interactions with our portfolio of clients, and the interaction within the company. Everything takes place online, and it is beginning to be our “new normal”.

What helped you the most during this period? And why?

The most important thing that helped us during this period was our teamwork. It is our ability to work together and to understand each other that helps us constantly change and digitalize. As a team, and as company, I think it was crucial that we all knew why we had to rapidly adapt our activities and to do everything in our power to get results. I think that when you know your why, it is easier to find your how. If you read Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why,” then you will agree.

What was the hardest thing to do? And why?

The hardest thing, I think, was not seeing our colleagues daily, not drinking coffee together, not feeling that energy that we had around the office, those good vibes. There were a lot of challenges, for example we had to move all our classes online in less than a week. But we managed to do so because we are a team and we realized that even though physically we are not together, it doesn’t mean we have to be apart.

Do you think COVID-19 is a turning point in digital transformation?

Undoubtedly! Whatever society emerges after COVID-19 will look differently. I believe that the companies which show agility, which are able to see the bigger picture, to think outside the box, to adapt to the new realities, and to pay attention to their employees’ and customers are the companies that will thrive in the post-COVID-19 world.

How did your colleagues adapt and embrace digital transformation during the lockdown?

It was a process, and I am sure we all changed something about ourselves. Lucky for us, improvement is one of our main values, so adapting and finding solutions are in our nature as a company. Digital transformation has always been on our minds. In this period the transition was made easier by the fact that we worked as a team and supported each other and our clients. We found ways to connect online and keep in touch, like our monthly Chance to Learn in EUCOM, and our weekly drinking coffee meetings.

Do you have a story or an image regarding this forced digitalization that you will remember or tell when someone will ask you about this period?

That first week after March 12th will remain with me well into the future. The challenges, the uncertainty, the euphoria, and the desire to adapt and find solutions are and will be vivid in my mind. Regardless of the department each of my colleagues worked in, Business Development, Project Management, Language Assessment, Training Development, HR, or Marketing, everybody gave their best to make sure that we could move everything online and deliver the best solutions to our clients. That motivation is hard not to remember. We also had the opportunity to truly understand the importance of developing strong partnerships with our clients, as they all worked along with us to set everything into motion during those first weeks.

What is the next step in your company digital transformation?

To take the digital transformation to the next level for our company, to strengthen our partnership with one of the best eLearning companies in the world, goFluent, to become a digital learning academy that can provide the best language solutions anywhere in the world.

2020-08-14T09:03:54+00:00