--- title: "Get Started With Digital Transformation: A Simple Digitization Example" description: Digitization is the first step in your Digital Transformation journey. Here's a simple example using Excel. image: https://blog.datanetworks.com/hubfs/LinkedIn%202%20(6).png --- [Skip to content](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/get-started-with-digital-transformation-digitization-example#main-content) [![Data Networks logo](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.png?width=317&height=51&name=logo.png)](https://www.datanetworks.com/) - [Blog Home](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home) - [About](https://www.datanetworks.com/about/overview/) - [Services](https://www.datanetworks.com/) - Blog Categories Show submenu for Blog Categories - [Compliance](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/compliance) - [Cybersecurity](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/cybersecurity) - [Cyber Liability Insurance](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/cyber-liability-insurance) - [Digital Transformation](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/digital-transformation) - [Remote Access](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/remote-access) - [Managed IT](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/managed-it) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Blog Home](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home) - [About](https://www.datanetworks.com/about/overview/) - [Services](https://www.datanetworks.com/) - Blog Categories Show submenu for Blog Categories - [Compliance](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/compliance) - [Cybersecurity](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/cybersecurity) - [Cyber Liability Insurance](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/cyber-liability-insurance) - [Digital Transformation](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/digital-transformation) - [Remote Access](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/remote-access) - [Managed IT](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/tag/managed-it) - [Contact us](https://www.datanetworks.com/about/contacts/) [Contact us](https://www.datanetworks.com/about/contacts/) Feb 22, 2022 2:39:00 PM # Get Started With Digital Transformation: A Simple Digitization Example ![Picture of Joe Green, Data Center Solutions Architect](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Joe-1024x1024.jpg?width=50&name=Joe-1024x1024.jpg) [Joe Green, Data Center Solutions Architect](https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/author/joe-green) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/get-started-with-digital-transformation-digitization-example) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/get-started-with-digital-transformation-digitization-example) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/get-started-with-digital-transformation-digitization-example) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/get-started-with-digital-transformation-digitization-example) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://blog.datanetworks.com/home/get-started-with-digital-transformation-digitization-example) ![digital transformation example](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedIn%202%20(6).png?width=1200&name=LinkedIn%202%20(6).png) Now that you know the different stages of Digital Transformation: *Digitization* of data and *Digitalization* of reporting and analysis, it is time to move on to a real-life example. In this post, I’ll focus on the first of these stages – *Digitization* – by building a simple time management process in Microsoft Excel. Read more... A quick note: The data you use for reporting and analysis will evolve very quickly, so a discussion around Taxonomy will be important and upcoming in future blog posts. If you have been following along from [our last Digital Transformation post](https://blog.datanetworks.com/general/digital-transformation-toolkit-for-beginners), you will remember I highlighted the importance of journaling your investments, time, and money. To make this real, we’ll digitize the timekeeping process to provide structure and access to data for improved decision-making.   ## **Digitize Time Tracking in Excel:** Open Microsoft Excel and create a new worksheet, then: #### Create your column headers A1 = Date (formatted as Date, entered by you) B1 = Start Time (formatted as Time, Entered by you) C1 = Description (entered by You) D1 = Duration\* (calculated field) \*Calculated Field: As we enter in Time and Dates, these fields will auto-calculate. #### Format your columns DATE: a. Select column A (the *Date* Column) b. Right click on column A, select *Format Cells* c. Under *Category*, select *Date* d. For *Type*, select *\*3/14/2012* as the format ![Date Capture](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Date%20Capture.png?width=511&name=Date%20Capture.png) TIME: a. As before, Select column B b. Right click on column B, select *Format Cells* c. Under Category, Select *Time* d. For Type, select *13:30:55* as the format - Military time is strictly to make the calculations simple - We can use standard time instead, but for now simple math is better ![Time Capture](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Time%20Capture.png?width=511&name=Time%20Capture.png) DURATION: a. Select column C b. Right Click on column C, select *Format Cells* c. Under *Category*, select *Time* d. For *Type*, select *37:30:55* as the format ![Duration Capture](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Duration%20Capture.png?width=303&name=Duration%20Capture.png) #### Calculate DURATION Enter sample data to help build the first Calculation a. Enter today’s date in Cell A2 b. Enter the start time for a sample activity in cell B2 c. Enter a description for the sample activity in cell C2 d. Enter today’s date again in A3 e. Enter a start time for the 2nd activity in cell B3 f. Enter a description for the sample activity in cell C3 ![Duration Calc Capture](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Duration%20Calc%20Capture.png?width=263&name=Duration%20Calc%20Capture.png) In cell D2 (the first cell under Duration), enter the following formula “=B3-B2” Select the D2 cell, and hit Ctrl C (Copy) to copy the formula ![Duration Calc Capture2-1](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Duration%20Calc%20Capture2-1.png?width=326&name=Duration%20Calc%20Capture2-1.png) Select Column D (Duration) and paste and select paste (Ctrl + V) to apply the formula for all cells in Column D ![Duration Calc Capture3](https://blog.datanetworks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Duration%20Calc%20Capture3.png?width=325&name=Duration%20Calc%20Capture3.png) Congratulations, you just created your first Digitization process for timekeeping! In my next post we will work on refining this toolset and explore how we can use timekeeping to continue the digital transformation journey. 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