It’s easy to look at the modern means of conducting business, especially in the service sector, and see how important digital utilities have become. With Cloud storage, remote working, cybersecurity protections, online branding, and outsourcing, it seems that companies which have failed to adapt to the digital age are needlessly holding them back.

Yet it’s also true to say that in some cases, digitization is not always one hundred percent suitable for all business processes. After all, bringing some staff into your physical premises is important for good collaboration and the proper development of your talent, while bringing clients into your private meeting space can be better than simply emailing them the entire time, particularly if agreeing upon a worthwhile deal, selling high-value real estate, or working through a sensitive case.

But what business processes may not be appropriate for digitization, or should work in physical tandem with your digitization efforts, without one eschewing the other? This may be tough to think through, so let’s discuss the topic together:

Archives & Records

While it’s good to digitize archives and records, not all of them can be implemented into the system at once, and it’s also good to keep the original paper copies where appropriate. Storing this can be tough, which is why roller racking installations are often considered the best solution. This way, you can ensure that files upon files are easily accessible and organized, especially if your digitization efforts only really stretch to the most recent decade. 

Negotiating Contracts

When negotiating contracts with clients, suppliers or other business-to-business connections, it’s important to implement a confidential, face-to-face appointment. Contracts with a degree of depth, where both parties and their legal counsel can look through the terms, simply cannot be formatted securely or easily over video conferencing apps. This is why curating a private meeting space in your own offices or agreeing on a neutral space you can rent out, for the time being, is so useful. It will also add a degree of legitimacy to the affairs, as minute-keepers can also ensure the transcripts of the conversation and any binding contractual witnesses are kept in the same place.

Workplace Training

While educating staff or students online is considered a capable substitute, it will never be as simple and effective as in-person training. Investing in your staff to attend seminars and training programs as opposed to simply performing online learning can be very helpful, especially when it comes to interpersonal matters like public speaking. Alternatively, attending conventions or industry panels can help you understand how other businesses are navigating updates or challenges in your market – such as how certain legislative bodies will be changing the regulatory measures you must comply with. Over time, workplace training will ensure a cohesive output across the team, but only if this is attended in person for the most part.

With this advice, you’re sure to see that digitization is important, but not always 100% suitable for all business processes. So – don’t feel out-manoeuvred by wholly online businesses, as there’s more nuance here to consider.