As we mark nearly one year since COVID-19 and the shift of nearly all business activity online, organizations have been forced to continually adjust business operations and adapt to a new and remote normal. Looking ahead, digital transformation, defined as the use of new, fast and frequently changing technology to solve problems and customer experience, defined as interactions between an organization and customer, will continue to play major roles.
The evolving digital transformation and customer experience landscape is largely being driven by customers themselves, rather than organizations. With social distancing measures enacted and a limited opportunity to visit store locations in-person, customers expect immediate access to services and for them to be simple, intuitive and easy to navigate. In this new landscape, organizations that recognize and embrace the importance of digital transformation and customer experience will excel in the future.
Searching for seamless experiences
Although face-to-face interactions were becoming less common before the pandemic, organizations were forced to remotely enable seamless customer experiences with limited notice and adopt technology that facilitated this interaction amid the shift to online. In our increasingly uncertain, digital and 24x7x365 world, customer experience should be viewed as the top priority in ensuring loyalty.
In addition to considering the ongoing pandemic when looking at their digital transformation and customer experience journeys, today’s organizations need to recognize the expectations of different age groups. As younger, more digitally-savvy generations enter the market and leverage their buying power, these individuals that have grown up with the internet at their fingertips will expect frictionless online experiences to access the tools and services they want.
Traditional barriers persist
Despite the importance for organizations to evolve, we continue to see the same roadblocks when discussing digital transformation and customer experience. Cost, complexity of the project and resistance to move away from the status quo are common pieces of feedback when speaking with organizations about their digital transformation and customer experience journey. Customer demands are changing, whether organizations are prepared or not. While the pandemic forced customers online, it would be naïve to think the digital revolution we saw amid the pandemic will dissipate.
Digital transformation and customer experience is a journey, not a destination
Change is a constant in our society. Even before the pandemic, as customer demands evolved organizations were forced to adjust business operations and begin their digital transformation. What customers want and expect out of the organizations they interact with will continue to shift, which is why it’s important organizations embark on a digital transformation that allows them to continuously evolve rather than viewing the transformation as a point in time. It should be seen as a multi-faceted process that accounts for the individuals using the service and process they go through rather than solely focusing on the technology involved. The pandemic also highlighted the importance of not only having a seamless customer experience but ensuring there is a built-in feedback mechanism so loyal customers can guide organizations with candid opinions.
It is imperative organizations realize that digital transformation is here to stay. While government restrictions on the pandemic and social distancing efforts will change, the demand for seamless online interactions will remain. Although it can seem daunting, working with a solutions provider to outline what changes should be made and the tools required for this can relieve organizational strain and ensure a business’ long-term success.
To learn more about how CDW Canada can help move your organization’s digital transformation and customer experience journey forward, or if you’re interested in getting started and would like to learn more, contact our CDW solution experts at 800.972.3922 or visit CDW.ca/digitaltransformation.
