An example of the Digital Ready Assessment Tool's results.

The federal government has launched a new online tool to help businesses better understand their digital maturity and readiness to digitise operations.

The Digital Ready Assessment Tool is a questionnaire-based tool that, once completed, provides businesses a digital competency rating in comparison to peer businesses and recommendations for what actions and initiatives can be taken to improve digital maturity.

The recommendations are focused on the categories of customer, data and analytics, digital capability and culture, digital strategy and innovation, operations, risk and cybersecurity, and technology.

Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the tool is part of the government's efforts to strengthen the digital economy and aims to provide considerable benefit to many businesses.

"The tool will include advice and guidance important to any small-to-medium sized business seeking to learn how they can use technology to increase their revenues, and to secure their digital presence and processes," Price said.

"COVID-19 has shown us that Australian businesses that are digital-enabled are more easily able to adapt and are more resilient to change."

Businesses that complete an assessment will also be directed to relevant products and services to help improve digital maturity, including links to government grant opportunities.

The Digital Ready Assessment Tool is freely available online.

A fortnight ago, the federal government also launched digital IDs for Australian company directors. The new government measure, called Director ID, is a unique 15-digit identifier that company directors will be required to set up as part of efforts by the federal government to minimise fraud and illegal activity.

To apply for the Director ID online, directors will have to use the myGovID app to log onto the Australian Business Registry Services website. Directors will then have to provide various details such as their individual Australian tax file number, residential address, and documents for identity verification as part of the application. 

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