Digital maturity goes beyond simply investing in technology. It depends on how well operations integrate these tools into daily life, engage teams, and use data to improve decision-making.
Therefore, before incorporating new solutions, it is important for the company to understand its current stage, identify potential opportunities for improvement in processes, culture and people, and assess whether it has the appropriate structure to generate effective value with these technologies.
In this article, you will discover practical ways to assess your operation's readiness and confidently move toward technologies that truly transform safety and efficiency.
What is digital maturity in practice
Digital maturity is the degree to which an organization can use digital technologies to improve processes, make data-driven decisions, and deliver more value to customers and employees. It's not just about having advanced systems, but about integrating these solutions into the company's strategy, culture, and operating models.
Companies that are more digitally mature tend to grow faster, react more quickly to changes, and remain competitive in increasingly digital markets. In contexts that require constant monitoring, such as security management or the control of complex systems, this maturity helps to anticipate problems and optimize the use of available resources.
Levels of digital maturity of the operation
Assessing whether an operation is ready for new technologies begins with understanding its current level of digital maturity. Several models propose stages that help organize this diagnosis in a practical way.
A common summary for operations is:
- Beginner: fragmented technology, little automation, and decisions still based on perception and isolated spreadsheets.
- Emerging: there are already digital systems and some use of data, but with low integration between areas and tools.
- Connected: data flows better between systems, dashboards begin to support decisions, and there are structured digital transformation projects.
- Intelligent/Leader: advanced use of data, automation, artificial intelligence, and a culture of continuous improvement driven by evidence.
The goal is not to "skip stages," but to plan the evolution step by step, always focusing on concrete gains for the business.
Key criteria for maturity diagnosis
To assess whether an operation is ready for new technologies, the diagnosis goes beyond simple technological infrastructure. It considers interconnected dimensions that reveal the real capacity to absorb innovations. Strategy and leadership, for example, define a clear vision for the use of technology, with well-established goals and priorities.
Processes and operations come next, with key workflows mapped, standardized, and at least partially digitized to support daily efficiency. Data and indicators complete the picture, ensuring that the company collects, organizes, and applies reliable information to measure performance and guide strategic decisions.
Culture and people form the human foundation of this structure, where teams understand change, participate actively, and have space to suggest continuous improvements. Finally, the customer and internal user experience assesses whether digital solutions simplify routines, reduce friction, and increase the perceived value in daily work.
The more balanced and consistent the performance in these dimensions, the greater the likelihood that a new technology will be successfully adopted and generate concrete results for the operation.
What is essential to advance in digital maturity
According to a Deloitte study, companies that achieve digital maturity develop seven core capabilities, known as "digital pivots." These elements go beyond isolated projects and form the basis for sustainable transformations.
Here are the seven essential capabilities identified by Deloitte:
| Capacity | Main Description |
| Flexible and secure infrastructure | It supports integrations, scales on demand, and protects sensitive data. |
| Data domain | Collects, processes, and applies information consistently across products, services, and operations. |
| Digital talent networks | It combines technical and behavioral skills for transformation. |
| Ecosystem engagement | Partnerships with technology companies, research centers, and startups. |
| Intelligent workflows | It connects people and systems, freeing up time for higher-value activities. |
| Unified customer experience | A 360° view of journeys, integrating digital and in-person interactions. |
| Business model adaptability | It tests new offers and ways of operating to adapt to the market. |
The more these capabilities are integrated into operational routines, the higher the level of maturity achieved by the organization. This advancement naturally opens up space for more sophisticated solutions, which expand the ability to anticipate and respond to challenges strategically.
Technology integrated into the operational strategy
Many companies invest heavily in systems and platforms, but fail to achieve the expected digital maturity because they treat technology as an isolated solution. Without a clear strategy, streamlined processes, and engaged people, the tool becomes just another icon on the screen, with low real-world use.
Viewing technology as a tool shifts the focus of the question. Instead of "which solution to adopt?", the discussion becomes "what problem do we want to solve and what changes are we willing to make to do so?" Thus, more complex digital initiatives, for example, begin by defining which decisions require more qualified data, which routines will be impacted, and how the team will use the insights generated.
The role of engagement in digital maturity
Research on digital transformation shows that human aspects are crucial for project success. Even with good infrastructure and strategy, maturity doesn't advance if teams don't trust the tool, don't perceive value in its use, and don't have support to learn.
Skills such as adaptability, curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning are among the most sought-after factors in professionals for digital contexts. When leaders involve people from the diagnosis stage, share results, and recognize those who use solutions well, engagement grows, and technology ceases to be an imposition and becomes an ally.
Assessing readiness in practice
The digital maturity of an operation is revealed in how technology is incorporated into daily life. More mature companies tend to have clarity about the objectives of using technology in security and operations, connecting these purposes to the overall business strategy.
Another important sign is in the organization of processes: when critical workflows are well mapped and monitored by reliable indicators, decisions become safer and faster. This integration also appears in the way areas interact, sharing data, eliminating barriers, and adopting systems that communicate with each other.
Leadership support and team engagement complete this picture. Leaders who encourage change and support new tools inspire teams that are more open to innovation. And when employees understand the reasons behind digital initiatives and receive ongoing training, the result is an operation better prepared to evolve.
Finally, routines such as monitoring dashboards, recording lessons learned, and reviewing strategies make the process continuous. These practices indicate a culture ready to adopt sophisticated technologies, such as intelligent monitoring, advanced automation, and predictive analytics.
How to advance one level at a time.
After the diagnosis, the next step is to plan a gradual evolution, connected to the reality of each operation. In general, the initiatives with the best return combine process adjustments, training, and the progressive introduction of technology.
One possible path includes:
- Start with a pilot program in a critical area, with clear objectives and defined indicators.
- Involve the teams from the project design stage, gathering insights from those who experience the daily routine in the field.
- Establish simple rituals for using data, such as regular meetings to review dashboards and define actions.
- Documenting lessons learned and replicating best practices in other areas, adjusting the model as the operation evolves.
In this way, digital maturity becomes an ongoing process, and not just a label.
Intelligent monitoring in digitally mature operations
Operations with greater digital maturity tend to extract not only operational gains, but above all strategic benefits from intelligent monitoring solutions. This happens because there is already a solid foundation of processes, indicators, and governance that connects field data to business priorities, aligning alerts and dashboards with objectives such as risk reduction, operational continuity, and competitiveness.
In this context, intelligent monitoring projects are designed based on strategic decisions that require better data support, critical routines that will be impacted, and the results that leadership expects to capture over time. Instead of trying to compensate for structural weaknesses, technology acts as an amplifier of already built maturity, accelerating the ability to learn from operations, anticipate scenarios, and reallocate resources more precisely.
Conclusion
Digital maturity transforms critical operations by integrating strategy, people, processes, and technology in a cycle of continuous improvement. Companies that diagnose their current stage, develop essential capabilities, and cultivate engagement create a solid foundation for data-driven decisions, proactive risk prevention, and optimized efficiency.
When intelligent monitoring connects to management routines, real evidence replaces isolated perceptions, prioritizing precise investments and strengthening prevention cultures with agile feedback to teams. Thus, the gradual evolution, from beginner to leader, is not just technological, but a strategic construction that increases security, competitiveness, and resilience in complex scenarios.
About ALTAVE
ALTAVE offers intelligent monitoring solutions that enhance safety in critical operations, protecting people, assets, and processes. Combining cutting-edge technology with automated analysis, its solutions identify risk situations in real time, enabling proactive incident prevention.
With 24/7 monitoring, intuitive dashboards, and continuous technical support, ALTAVE contributes to operational safety and the protection of lives and essential resources in various sectors, such as Defense and Security, Energy, Mining, Ports, Agribusiness, and Oil and Gas.
Recognized for its strategic importance, ALTAVE is accredited as a Strategic Defense Company by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense, and is also a supplier to Petrobras.
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Contact us and find out how we can help your company.
Sources:
ALTAVE: https://altave.com.br/
ALTAVE Content:
https://altave.com.br/transformacao-digital-oleo-e-gas/
https://altave.com.br/monitoramento-inteligente-implantacao/
https://altave.com.br/data-driven-monitoramento-inteligente/
https://altave.com.br/tecnologia-para-gestao-de-riscos/
External references:
https://www.deloitte.com/br/pt/Industries/tmt/research/impulsionando-maturidade-digital.html
https://incuca.net/maturidade-digital/
https://www.lumis.com.br/a-lumis/blog/maturidade-digital-como-medir-e-evoluir-sua-organizacao.htm
https://timenow.com.br/solucoes/assessment-de-maturidade-digital/
