How can cartography help you with your digital transformation?

Digital transformation has become unavoidable for companies seeking to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. Yet it also raises major challenges: where to start? How do we coordinate technologies, processes and teams?

Information Systems (IS) mapping is proving to be a key to simplifying this complexity and ensuring a smooth transition. This article explores how our tool can meet the specific needs of companies.

Why embark on a digital transformation?

1. Increased competitiveness: Digitized companies are more agile and responsive to market changes.
2. Cost optimization: Automation and modernization of tools reduce operational costs.
3. Compliance and security: A well thought-out transformation strengthens data governance and reduces the risk of non-compliance.
4. Improved user experience: Customers benefit from a simplified, personalized customer journey.

Digital transformation is therefore a crucial issue for all companies, whatever their sector. It promises innovation, efficiency and competitiveness. But between technological tools, business processes and people, this transformation can quickly become a headache.

How to make a success of your digital transformation?

1. Evaluate what already exists
2. Define clear priorities
3. Choose the right tools
4. Involve stakeholders

This is where a strategic approach that is all too often underestimated comes into play: mapping your information system (IS).

Understanding for better transformation

Digital transformation depends on a thorough understanding of your existing systems. Many companies throw themselves headlong into technology projects without really understanding the state of their infrastructure. The result? Explosive costs, protracted projects and resistance to change.

With accurate mapping, you get a clear view of your digital ecosystem: from business processes to the applications and infrastructures that support them. And with a complete mapping, you can quickly identify bottlenecks and prioritize your actions.

Case in point: thanks to a tool like Carto-SI, an e-commerce company can visualize the entire customer journey, from online interactions (business layer) to the servers hosting its site (infrastructure layer). This level of detail helps prioritize actions, such as improving a slow application or optimizing a data flow.

Identify the levers of transformation

Well-constructed mapping does more than simply describe what exists. It highlights critical dependencies, potential risks and opportunities for improvement. For example, before integrating a new CRM solution, mapping enables you to see which applications will need to interact with this solution, and whether your current infrastructure can support it.

What’s more, analyzing data flows with a tool like Carto-SI can reveal redundancies or inefficiencies. You can quickly identify bottlenecks or obsolete processes, which are essential to address before introducing new technologies.

Facilitating communication and buy-in

Digital transformation is a collective project. Yet one of the major obstacles is often insufficient communication between technical teams, business units and management. IS mapping acts as a common language, illustrating complex technical concepts in a visual and accessible way.

For example, the interactive dashboards offered by Carto-SI enable business managers to quickly understand the impact of a change on their processes, without technical jargon. This reduces misunderstandings, facilitates decision-making and improves stakeholder buy-in.

Guaranteeing secure transformation

In a world of increasing cyberattacks and regulatory constraints such as the RGPD, digital transformation must also rhyme with security and compliance. Precise mapping sheds light on sensitive data, its location and the flows that concern it. So you can guarantee fast, proactive compliance.

Revealing customer needs

Here are just a few of the needs identified in our customer discussions, which illustrate the concrete problems associated with digital transformation:

Better understanding and management of information systems:

Example: An IS manager mentioned difficulties in synchronizing data between different systems via the API. Mapping would have enabled him to identify the applications concerned and effectively resolve the problem.
➡ Need: A clear view of interconnections to avoid redundancies and anticipate malfunctions.

Anticipate the impact of change:

Example: When a customer wanted to change his cloud infrastructure, he was faced with uncertainty as to which applications would be affected. Clear mapping would have enabled a rapid and reliable impact study.
➡ Need: plan technological changes without disrupting operations.

Regulatory compliance and management of sensitive data:

Example: A customer, faced with an RGPD breach, was looking for a way to accurately track sensitive data flows. Mapping would have facilitated the identification of systems at risk and enabled a rapid response.
➡ Need: proactive management of compliance and sensitive data.

Conclusion: mapping, a pillar of digital transformation

Mapping your information system is not just a snapshot of the existing situation, but a strategic tool for planning and executing your digital transformation. With Carto-SI, you gain visibility, agility and efficiency. So, before embarking on a new technology project, think about building the solid foundations of an accurate cartography. Because understanding your system is the first step towards transforming it.