When it comes to digital transformation, businesses shouldn’t narrow their focus to the “back end”. There is a new seat at the boardroom table – the Digital Transformation Director; an executive or non executive post but most importantly it’s a statement of intent by a company that they consider transformation as one of the key elements of a business.
Businesses should now be using the opportunity to utilise all of the weapons in the new digital toolbox to improve their products – with a little help from their “friends” also known as their customers.
Many organisations deliver a great range of good services but they can always be improved and more often than not it is the receiver of such a service who through his or her experience knows how that improvement can take place. Increasing communication will invariably increase satisfaction. Regular website updates and the occasional customer survey is not digital transformation.
In the public arena many organisations have already advanced towards transformation with cost savings and efficiencies in mind. Retail companies, through the pandemic certainly, but before had embraced the need to transform their businesses and a key to them was the customer experience. They use social media for reviewing and commenting on goods and services. Some have gone still further by using the latest technology service – instant webchats. Users can now speak directly to experts to deal with queries, maximise usage – in short get the best possible experience.
Extending communication with customers can be configured so that is a simple process that yields substantial improvements. Such insight could be invaluable especially in such times where every penny has to be spent cautiously. The days of surveys have been surpassed by chatbots with one in four retail providers now offering the chatbot experience.
Businesses seem much more content to invest in areas such as marketing which will certainly help to generate business, but may not guarantee clear and unambiguous cost savings or revenue benefits. Digital transformation will deliver tangible, much needed results. It needs commitment, skill, partnerships and the support of experts but with diligence and determination will create a successful outcome (read more about Digital Transformation Agencies).
The age old phrase is that the “devil is in the detail” but digital transformation can offer the benefit in the detail. The key has to be that larger public organisations should look across the sectors to understand the full impact possible of transformation and place the customer and not the service at the heart of their purpose – digital transformation can do that.