Digital transformation: financial benefits for humanitarian organizations
Integrating technology and digital tools in your organization's daily work is not just about improving efficiency and management; it can also lead to significant financial benefits. In this blog, we will explore how digital transformation can help organizations in the humanitarian aid and emergency response sector to save costs and ultimately enhance their impact.
One specific example is how improved data can uplift humanitarian investment. The European Centre for Development Policy Management has stated in their analysis Digitalisation in humanitarian aid: opportunities and challenges in forgotten crises that digital technologies "can facilitate new ways of addressing the humanitarian financing gap1 and could even allow for better prevention and preparedness."
In this blog, we will explore some of the financial benefits of digital transformation, and how your organization can be part of it.
Cost savings
One of the most significant financial benefits of digital transformation is cost savings. By automating processes, streamlining workflows, and using digital tools to communicate and collaborate, organizations can reduce their operational costs significantly.
Better resource allocation
Digital tools can help organizations better track and manage their resources, such as supplies and equipment. This can help organizations optimize their use of resources and reduce waste, which can result in cost savings.
Increased efficiency
Digital transformation also leads to increased efficiency in operations, which can result in significant financial benefits. By automating routine tasks and streamlining workflows, organizations can reduce the time and resources required to complete tasks.
Improved data management
Digital transformation enables organizations to collect, store, and analyze data more efficiently and effectively. With digital tools, organizations can capture data in real-time, store it in a centralized location, and analyze it to gain valuable insights.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) paper "Unlocking Humanitarian and Resilience Investing through Better Data (2021)" elaborates on significant deficiencies in the existing data, which are hindering investors from gaining access to a wider range of investment prospects focused on humanitarian and resilience efforts. It also suggests potential remedies to address these gaps.
Enhanced donor engagement
Digital transformation also enables organizations to engage with donors more effectively. With digital tools, organizations can provide donors with real-time updates on their programs and activities, as well as personalized communication and engagement. This can help to build stronger relationships with donors and increase the likelihood of repeat donations.
Digitalization plays a crucial role in enabling the mobilization of new and increased funding to address humanitarian challenges and bridge funding gaps.
Businesses are a major contributor to humanitarian action, so the private sector can play an important role in closing the gap between needs and resources — including both charitable foundations and private companies, whose contributions in 2020 made up an estimated 3.3% of overall humanitarian assistance. But, one of the main obstacles to getting more private investors involved in humanitarian issues is that there isn't enough useful data available for them to make informed decisions (WEF, 2021).
Year after year, the gap becomes wider, presenting a significant challenge.
To bridge this gap, it becomes crucial to consider how humanitarian organizations can effectively manage private resources, especially when faced with limited capabilities and resources that make integrating technology into their operations difficult.
The monday.com Emergency Response Team solution enables emergency response teams to efficiently collect, share, and process data, transforming it into real-time and comprehensive centralized dashboards.
By having access to pertinent and valuable data, organizations are empowered not only to make informed decisions but also to engage and collaborate with various stakeholders who can lend support to their initiatives.
We are endeavoring to narrow the humanitarian aid gap, in order to support aid organizations that respond to disasters to outdo their best, through:
- Human-centric, needs-based and context-specific digital transformation: we work hand in hand with grass-root organizations.
- We help to manage challenging and difficult processes. 70% of clients are non-tech savvy. We work to democratize technology.
- We are aware of the organizational challenges and change management. We work together with organizations to ensure long-term maintenance.
Start your organization's digital transformation here.