With less than two weeks until the Bundestag Elections 2021 in Germany, the key agenda points have been established, and political parties are being asked to provide concrete plans for how they plan to achieve their objectives. Among the key topics currently being discussed is one that we happen to feel quite strongly about and goes hand in hand with what we do—digitalization!
Polling results remain tight, and although at this point it is anyone’s game, it does seem that whoever it is will inevitably have to address this critical issue currently facing the German people. For one, the FDP (The Free Democratic Party, a classical-liberal political party in Germany) has promised to further push the startup industry in the country and is also emphasizing the importance of digitalization. And righteously so. The pandemic has made it impossible to avoid how necessary it is to be up to speed with the digital world.
So, what can companies, business owners, and voters learn from how this topic is being debated? And, how do the services we offer here at GANDT fit into an agenda that involves the discovery, navigation, and acceleration through the potential offered by digitalization?
Digitalization by the numbers
Infographic provided by FDP.
This graphic shows just how far behind Germany is when it comes to national access to optic fiber. Only 4,46% of all internet connections are optic fiber—compared to nearly 70% in Spain and 84% in South Korea. Switzerland is already doing much better than Germany, at 22% optic fiber coverage.
For years, experts have warned that Germany’s public sector requires better access, and the pandemic has done much to underscore just how problematic this is. Over the last year and a half, many remote workers and students have stated that a poor internet connection leads to missed work, classes, and in some cases, even loss of a job or dismissal from an education program. But indeed, this discrepancy was experienced most profoundly in the healthcare system.
Infographic provided by FDP.
The Digital Health Index shows how advanced a country is when it comes to a functioning healthcare system that incorporates digital. Unfortunately, both Germany and Switzerland are quite low on a global scale, with lots of room for improvement.
Several months into the pandemic, health authorities were still reporting case numbers using fax machines. Undoubtedly, this left many frustrated, as healthcare regulators, patients, payors, and providers began asking why digitization couldn’t enable faster access to data. And it seems that the politicians agree.
Digitalization is also a major theme for the Green Party, which is demanding a transparency law to make open data the standard in administration, and discrimination in algorithms is to be more closely monitored and prevented. In addition, broadband is to become a fundamental right, and young women are to receive special support in learning digital skills.
Now is the time to digitalize
Going forward, it is clear that now is the time for governments and companies to digitize or risk getting left ever further behind. Digitalization was only a Silicon Valley topic; now—slowly but surely—it has reached government agendas worldwide.
As Germany’s agendas for the Bundestagswahl 2021 illustrate, digitalization is critical when it comes to confronting some of society’s most significant challenges. From healthcare reform to the climate crisis, governments and companies alike can offer better, cleaner, and more accessible services at a better price point by digitizing the way they cooperate.
Our brand new DNA program
Digitalization has represented an essential aspect of what we do for our clients here at GANDT. Our DNA (Discover, Navigate, Accelerate) program was designed to fast-track digitalization for any organization by looking at its setup, market, and goals. Split into distinct phases; it sets out the three steps we’ve identified to grow and transform any business towards digital longevity. If digitalization is a topic that is being addressed at your company, we’d be happy to have a conversation around your needs and opportunities and how we could help.
Our recently-developed DNA Program.
