Overcoming the digital bottleneck

As companies move to offering web based services, they run the risk of suffering from a digital bottleneck. A bottleneck occurs when there is a slowing or constriction of a process at a defined point. A digital bottleneck occurs when an online transaction or process is disrupted or slowed, at a defined point, by an offline component.

For example,the airline industry used to offer a form of online booking for flights where you still needed to get a physical ticket before boarding a plane. The act of receiving the phyiscal ticket offline was the digital bottleneck. In order to solve this problem, the airline industry introduced "e-tickets" which made it possible to complete the entire process online.

Many companies are now requesting to add new functions to their online presence and not considering the digital bottlenecks that exist when moving a task from bricks and mortar to the web. It is important to look at the larger picture when adding a new online service. New resources such as upgraded software, staff training, client education, etc... may be needed to effectively execute your online process.

When discussing new online initiatives with your web developer make sure you explain the complete scope of the process. Your web developer should be able to illustrate where the potential digital bottlenecks are in your new online process. In order for your online solution to function as you have envisioned, you might need to solve these bottlenecks first. It will lead to a more efficient and effective solution and a higher satisfaction rating of the new online tool.