What is Digital Transformation? And how is it impacting our organizations?

Digital transformation (DT) is the process of adoption and implementation of digital technology by an organization to create new or modify existing products, services, and operations by the means of translating business processes into a digital format. The goal for its implementation is to increase value through innovation, invention, improved customer experience and efficiency.

CFAA is currently pursuing additional digital transformation projects with a new and improved website, a new Association Management System (AMS) and new workflow processes to improve our operations. This has been an ongoing effort to invest in new digital tools and offerings since COVID. This latest project is anticipated to be complete by February of 2025.

In 2020, we pivoted quickly to offer live online technical training webinars via Zoom so that our stakeholders, specifically technicians, could receive Continuing Education credits. What we thought would be a temporary measure has resulted in new online offerings that we have expanded on each year. All Board and Chapter meetings became virtual. We also launched a new website with increased functionality and held our first online AGM.

In 2021, we continued to offer only live online training and events due to COVID with 2500+ attendees in total, many hours of new content and added the ability for recorded training and testing, in the event that people could not attend a live event. Board and Chapter meetings continued to be virtual.

In 2022, who knew that COVID disruptions would last 2-1/2 years?! We continued with online events with 2700+ attendees in total. In the fall, we finally held our first in-person Technical Seminar event again. COVID had pushed the digital transformation for many organizations’ processes, and we were no different.

In 2023, we introduced hybrid events to allow participation both in-person or live online. Recorded training sessions continued to be offered, and we continue to add new and relevant technical content related to fire alarm systems.

In 2024, we now offer the CFAA Fire Alarm Technology Program online for the first time, including all five courses and the Theory Exam, and is being sold as a complete pack. This is intended to provide flexibility for students who wish to become fire alarm technicians and speed up the process for those that wish to take a self-paced, at-home, learning option to become a CFAA Trainee. We can now monitor their progress and provide additional support as they move through the program. Then with field experience, the trainee will become a full CFAA Registered Fire Alarm Technician. More options for digital inspection reporting are also available in the marketplace.

Digital transformation is all about unlocking value in your business processes and releasing it back to customers – as well as being agile enough to use data and analytics to create new, innovative experiences.

We will continue to see new digital products, services and processes in the fire and life safety space. I encourage you to embrace these changes and take the opportunity to gain more experience with innovative digital products and services.

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat.” – Steve Jobs