Follow the money

Let’s be honest: nobody wakes up thinking, Today is the day we’re going to digitise everything. Let’s build an app!

Yet, here at Blue Green Solutions, we’ve built more than a hundred apps and platforms over the years. That alone proves one thing: there’s a real need in SMEs to modernise processes.

But going from ambition to real, tangible results? That’s where most companies get stuck.

In the last edition, I talked about why it pays off to start small. Today, I’ll help you pinpoint exactly where to start, and how to make sure your efforts actually move the needle.

Spot your bottlenecks

Digitalisation often feels like standing at the foot of a massive mountain. But the irony is: those mountains are usually the most obvious opportunities to improve.

What do I mean by “mountains”? Anything that keeps piling up, slows you down, or drains resources.

Here are a few examples you probably recognise:

• A backlog of unprocessed orders
• Crowded warehouses or production lines
• Overflowing inboxes and customer requests
• Manual paperwork that never seems to end
• Equipment downtime

These are the places where inefficiency becomes visible, and expensive.

Instead of trying to solve everything at once, look for these pressure points first. Because every time something piles up, it signals a process that could be faster, leaner, or even fully automated.

Practical ways to get started

Once you’ve identified your “mountains”, you can start exploring targeted solutions:

✅ Automate repetitive admin work
✅ Introduce smarter order management workflows
✅ Use predictive tools to manage inventory
✅ Leverage IoT to monitor machines and prevent breakdowns
✅ Implement chatbots to handle common customer questions

No fancy jargon, no grand transformation plans. Just practical steps you can take today.

Follow the Money 💸

This is where I see many businesses lose focus. It’s tempting to chase the latest trends, AI, blockchain, hyperautomation, but forget why you’re digitalising in the first place.

So here’s a question to bring you back to basics:

👉 Where does the money go?

Look at your biggest costs. Think about:

• Maintenance and repairs
• Delayed deliveries
• Excess stock
• Manual work hours
• Customer churn

If you want your digitalisation efforts to be sustainable, start by understanding the financial side.

Sit down with your CFO or finance team, review your figures, and identify where improvements will have the most impact.

This approach doesn’t just help you prioritise. It also makes it a lot easier to convince stakeholders, partners, or investors why your plan deserves commitment and budget.

Start somewhere, but start

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: digitalisation doesn’t happen overnight. And it rarely happens all at once.

Focus on the processes you know best. The ones you can improve quickly. The ones your teams already understand.

That’s where momentum begins.

And that first small success? It often creates the trust and confidence to take the next step,and the next.

So don’t wait for the perfect moment or the perfect plan.

Just get started.