By Anand Iyer, Assistant Vice President & Global Delivery Head – Microsoft Business Applications & Modern Workplace, Infosys
Today, a critical part of an enterprise’s digital transformation strategy lies in value creation through improved quality and transparency, along with technology adoption. Organisational growth is determined by combining operational improvements or operational experience (OX), with customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX). In effect, the coming together of OX, CX and EX will serve as the differentiator for business success, ensuring customer profitability and employee satisfaction.
The benefits of digitising customer and employee experiences
The customer today is constantly connected and has access to real-time information that has transformed consumer habits entirely. They know what they want and that they can get it when they need it. Organisations have changed to a digital first approach, to interact with their customers and keep them engaged. According to Salesforce Research, nearly 9 out of 10 customers agree that the experience offered by a company is as important as its products and services. Digitising CX improves insights and engagement, and CX can make or break a company. ML algorithms, generative AI and analytical tools help transform CX and make it more personal. Enterprises can leverage chatbots, live chat, or self-service portals to answer customer questions and resolve issues. Data is used to understand customer preferences to deliver personalized offers, recommendations, and content.
Today’s employee has also changed significantly, and this has been furthered on account of the pandemic. First, organisations grappled with work-from-home options and remote work. Then they moved to hybrid work and now it is ‘anywhere work’. All this has completely changed the way people interact in the workplace.
Coupled with accelerated use of technology, employees are now more demanding and aware of their needs. In addition, they have persona-specific needs. For instance, a frontline worker seeks easy-to-access, real-time information, while a rig oil worker will look for insurance coverage and safety considering the risks involved in his job. Given the undeniable link between employee satisfaction and overall business success, organisations must take steps to prioritise their employees and align their EX with the elevated expectations that they currently have. Employee interactions can be implemented through gamification and social media, while AI chatbots can help streamline employee engagement, around the clock. Organisations can initiate tailored training programs, personalised growth plans and customised communication plans based on tenure or geographical location, to make each employee feel empowered and valued.
Technology strategies hinge on human experiences
Digital transformation only takes on meaning when it creates a personal, human impact and there are many reasons for this. For starters, there has been a technology shift, with organisations realising that instead of relying on just one technology stack, they can look at converging many technologies together, to offer customers and employees with the best possible experience. For example, a leading multinational chain of coffeehouses uses one company’s ERP for its inventory package, another one to manage its EX and CX and a completely different technology stack for its CRM. Next, consumer behavior has changed drastically post-pandemic. For instance, digital banking and e-commerce, have grown exponentially post pandemic, with more millennials and Gen-Z individuals having a digital presence. Persona-based marketing, where campaigns target buyers based on their individual preferences have grown, and digital marketing campaigns can be altered to resonate with specific customer segments. Technology has also altered the pace of regulatory compliance, as can be seen with how fintech has disrupted the banking sector. Generative AI tools allow for product support from day zero, and this has been a game changer. For any business to be successful, it needs to employ a human-centric mindset, for it is people who are the link between business and technology.
Conclusion
Moving ahead, businesses need to make sure that the digital experiences they create are user-friendly. The digital landscape is constantly changing, and they need to be prepared to improve their digital experiences across touchpoints on an ongoing basis. Our company has aligned our MS stack to meet the CX, EX, and OX needs as we understand that three are intrinsically linked and bringing them together, will define an organisation’s success in terms of improved business outcomes, customer engagement, and employee retention in today’s business environment.
