Digital Transformation: What it Is and How It Works for Businesses and Public Administration
11 March 2025Digital transformation is a concept that is radically changing the way organizations operate, interact with customers, and evolve in the global market. It’s not just about adopting new technologies, but also about transforming corporate culture, processes, and business models.
What is Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation refers to a process that involves integrating digital technologies across all areas of an organization, changing how it operates and adding new value in the eyes of customers. It’s not just about automating processes or digitizing data; it’s about completely rethinking business models. Technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain are driving this transformation, making organizations more agile, innovative, and responsive.
Pillars of Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is based on several key pillars.
Technology: the use of advanced technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data, and IoT is central to optimizing processes and improving customer experience.
Culture and Management: a cultural shift is necessary. Organizations must promote innovation and an open mindset toward change.
Automation and Digitalization: Aatomating and digitizing business processes is crucial to saving resources and improving operational efficiency.
Personalizing Customer Experience: using data analysis to customize customer experiences is key to building loyalty and delivering real value.
Goals of Digital Transformation
What is the fundamental purpose of digital transformation? What are its goals? While improving operational efficiency is one goal, the idea of innovating business models creates the most significant added value: rethinking ineffective practices, offering a better customer experience, and adapting to market dynamics using advanced technologies.
Examples of Digital Transformation for Businesses and Public Administration
Large companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Uber are examples of how digital transformation has revolutionized sectors: Amazon transformed retail through cloud computing and automation, while Netflix changed the media industry with streaming and AI-powered personalized content recommendations.
In public administration (PA), digitalization has impacted the system through innovations that involve all citizens, such as the introduction in Italy of SPID (Public Digital Identity System) and the digitization of civil status certificates, with the goal of simplifying access to public services and improving efficiency and security.
New Professional Roles
Digital transformation has created numerous professional opportunities, establishing roles that didn’t exist before.
Digital Transformation Manager: responsible for planning and managing digital transformation.
Data Analyst/Scientist: collects, analyzes, and interprets data to improve business strategies.
Cloud Architect: designs cloud solutions, a key technology for digital transformation.
UX/UI Designer: designs intuitive, user-friendly digital interfaces.
Cybersecurity Specialist: experts in protecting data and digital infrastructures, crucial with increasing digitalization.
Digital transformation is deeply changing how businesses and public administration operate, addressing future challenges by adopting advanced technologies and innovative models.
In this context, high-quality training represents a crucial competitive advantage, and Bologna Business School is one of the institutions that best interprets the need to meet market demands.
Always at the forefront, BBS offers various programs related to digital transformation, aiming to create the professionals of tomorrow.
The Professional Master in Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Management is a full-time, 12-month program in English, sponsored by Lab Cini, a reference point for academic research in the IT sector. It is a training path that, thanks to its connection with CINECA, an inter-university consortium and home to the supercomputer Leonardo, is aimed at young graduates who want to become professionals capable of managing innovations.
The Master Executive in Technology and Innovation Management (EMTIM) is a part-time, weekend program lasting 12 months in Italian, aimed at training professionals capable of managing technological innovation while tackling both technical and managerial issues.
The Master Executive in Artificial Intelligence for Business is a 12-month, part-time hybrid program in English, designed for professionals who want to acquire a solid skill set to leverage the potential of artificial intelligence in the business context.
As with all areas of study at the School, BBS offers, alongside its traditional and innovative Master’s programs (MBA, Professional, or Executive), vertical courses focused on a specific topic.
The Open Program in Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI, part-time on campus, in Italian and lasting 5 days, is designed to provide an in-depth and practical understanding of how generative AI can be integrated into business processes to enhance productivity and accelerate innovation.
The Open Program in Technology & Innovation Management, part-time on campus in Italian and lasting 8 days, focuses on acquiring the necessary skills to address strategic, organizational, and operational challenges related to innovation management.
Digitalization is crucial for maintaining competitiveness and improving operational efficiency. Companies that look to the future cannot ignore this true revolution that requires professionals capable of managing new technologies and imagining the potential applications of this change across all business sectors.
Bologna Business School, with its international network, is a real springboard from which to jump into the future of digitized business.
