EGİAD conducts 'Digital Maturity Level Assessment Study'

EGİAD, with the participation of Selçuk Karaata, Advisor to Yaşar Üniversitesi Teknoloji A.Ş, conducted an important study aimed at determining digitalization capacity and competency through a "Digital Maturity Level Assessment Project." Accordingly, a digital maturity model and level assessment tool were launched through EGİAD initiative to serve as a guide for companies in their digitalization processes. Under the leadership of Yaşar Üniversitesi Teknoloji A.Ş Advisor Selçuk Karaata, EGİAD began implementing this measurement model in volunteer member companies and shared best practice examples and results of the study with EGİAD members through a webinar. The meeting was hosted by EGİAD Vice Chairman Kaan Özhelvacı, with moderation by EGİAD General Secretary Prof. Dr. Fatih Dalkılıç.

Digital transformation is unavoidable

In his opening remarks at the meeting, EGİAD Vice Chairman Kaan Özhelvacı noted that digital transformation is a societal necessity aligned with the opportunities provided by rapidly evolving information and communication technologies, and made the following statements:

"Digital transformation requires adaptation to new conditions and expectations and agility, which is why even the most successful organizations struggle to complete their transformation fully. The digital transformation process is not easy because there is no single ready-made solution. Technology changes rapidly, but changing habits is very difficult. Digital transformation also requires thinking about the past, present, and future simultaneously. Whether SMEs or large enterprises, there is no escaping digital transformation. Every business must accelerate its operations through the concept of digital transformation and begin implementing transformative initiatives."

Organizations need to develop strategies to manage change

Özhelvacı, stating that "there are different reasons for implementing digital transformation, which is occurring very rapidly and whose changes are visible everywhere," continued as follows:

"I would like to list the main ones in 5 points. We can enumerate them as rapid changes in consumer purchasing behavior, smaller and more agile companies' efforts to implement these processes before your business, digital leaders rapidly taking market share from you, expansion of the competitive arena, and consumers' expectations of personalized experience. Considering these points, it is clear that the effects of digital transformation span all industries. Organizations need to continue current services and develop strategies to manage the transition between analog and digital mix. For this reason, businesses must establish a general development orientation and implement digital innovations, while continuing to remain effective in evaluating and optimizing existing business opportunities. To implement digital transformation, organizations must develop continuous learning capabilities as an indispensable prerequisite for managing change and successfully creating innovations. Companies that made digital transformation investments early and implemented them in their processes will find it easier to adapt their operations. Those that do not make these investments are accelerating digitalization investments on their agendas. At this point, we are in a period where balances are shifting in political, economic, and social life worldwide; the digital age is truly beginning, and efforts toward sustainability are accelerating. In this process, we observe that companies that invested in digital transformation earlier are differentiating themselves."

Yaşar Üniversitesi Teknoloji A.Ş Advisor Selçuk Karaata noted that the production paradigm has changed significantly worldwide and added:

"Reindustrialization is being adopted as a strategic approach. The implementation and sustainability of the industrial internet requires a transformation process taking many years. Industry 4.0 is a journey. This journey represents the transformation of the entire value chain driven by new technologies and new collaborative management models."