Written by Neil, Co-founder & Chair at Rufus Leonard
How to engage and prepare a business for the next stage of digital transformation.
Following the advancements in industries such as technology services – as well as in digital retail and FinTech - consumers have become accustomed to a highly intuitive and personalised level of service. They now expect this from every brand they interact with – and are now much more likely to move on if they don’t receive it.
For example, in 2018 more than 5.5 million energy customers switched electricity supplier – marking a new record. For years, consumers have been satisfied with quite traditional service models that fall way short of the expectations consumers have today. They want a better, tailored service with transparent pricing, complete control and real-time information.
All brands have to ask themselves how they plan to deliver a better experience for their customers, balancing genuine needs and financial limitations. In truth, it’s become business critical to embrace digital transformation, using the capabilities well-constructed digital platforms have to meet the growing expectations of consumers and deliver extraordinary customer experiences, while bringing cost efficiencies into the business itself.
The question is, how do they do that?
The key is employee engagement
Without buy-in and engagement from the board right through to front-line staff, even the most innovative of customer experience strategies are doomed to fail. Organisational engagement is fundamental to achieving a coherent meaningful digital transformation, however many agile teams you throw at it. Employees need to understand how they fit into the new operating models that embracing real digital transformation demands, how teams need to work differently and how they fundamentally need to think differently.
So how do you sell your ambitious digital transformation vision into an organisation in a way that gives it the best chance to succeed? For brands looking to press ahead with their digital transformation journey, here are some important considerations.
Engage the entire organisation
It’s crucial to have engagement from all levels of the organisation, from board level downwards. This is a fundamental transformation programme that will touch every aspect of the business. To truly benefit from these innovations, an entire organisation will need to be engaged in the journey and adopt the mindset necessary to embrace new technologies.
Champion the role of storytelling
To support the evolution of your customer experience strategy, and give your teams useful parameters to create within, try developing user stories for your key personas. Establishing user stories for personas at either end of the spectrum will allow you to explore the narrative through each stage of the customer lifecycle, from shop through to renewal.
You should also consider how to effectively communicate this. First of all, step away from the PowerPoint – nobody ever felt inspired by an 80-slide deck. Instead, consider media that champions the role of storytelling. Create long print scrolls, books or short films to engage and connect everyone within the business to the same vision. Really show them what it will look and feel like.
Translate the practicalities of your vision
Support your storytelling media with a framework that translates the future customer experience into design principles and actions. All of which should become the brief for teams to design their specific customer experience around, with a roadmap of proof points to execute against. This will help nurture the ongoing belief in the vision internally and externally.
Be measured about the potential results
The potential benefits of the new technology are enormous, but it’s safer to be conservative with estimates as they will still be impressive. Organisations should also exercise some healthy caution, mindful of previous investments in technology that only delivered marginal improvements.
Demystify the terminology
Machine Learning, Intelligent Machines, Cognitive Platforms, Deep Learning, Intelligent Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Robotic Process Automation, Intelligent Products, Virtual Assistants, APIs… the list goes on and on. These new capabilities are wrapped in a language that to many is impenetrable. Find ways to simplify it. Compile a glossary. Educate everyone so you’re all speaking the same language.
Create powerful practical examples
It’s important to communicate effectively at board level, in a way that demystifies the potential of the technology. The best way to do this is by creating powerful examples that show this intelligent technology in action. Take a look at how IBM is demonstrating what these technologies can do: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/
Bring in business areas early
Reinforce the idea that digital transformation is much more than a big IT initiative. Bring in other business areas early to work on proof of concepts. For the first time, the technologies now exist to radically transform all aspects of an organisation. The potential of digital transformation is yet to be fully realised but the warning signs are clear – those that don’t act now to embrace the future, will rapidly be left behind.
Finally, this stage of digital transformation is really about organisational transformation. This is not something for the IT department. It needs to be embraced across the board to deliver the change that will underpin the organisations that are going to survive and flourish in the future.