Customer Not Digital Transformation

Having just completed arguably the #1 transformation in Australia (possibly the world) I have learnt (the hard way) a thing or two about what to focus on.

In a published whitepaper from the Gartner Group, our transformation was called “Exemplary Public-Sector Digital Service Model”

Vivek Kundra (ex US Fed CIO for Barack Obama) said “The mistake you guys have made is this… you think you are #1 in Australia; I want to tell you, what you have done here… you are #1 in the world”

A couple of proud moments (yep, I tell everyone!) for our team.

What is interesting here is the language used.  Gartner didn’t call it a digital transformation.  They called it a Digital Service Model… because that is what it is.  In reality it is a Customer Service Transformation (underpinned by digital channels and technology).

I have met with over 40 institutions who are getting ready to start their transformation journey.  95% of these were focusing on the technology and not the customer.

Digital Transformation – The process of using new technologies to become more innovative, agile, and above-all else, customer-centric.

Don’t ever forget, transformation is all about the customer.  It is about delivering services that your customers want, how and when they want to use them.

When did you last physically touch a customer – shake their hand?  Get out and meet your customer, speak to the happy ones, the sad ones, the good, the bad, the happy and the sad.  You will learn a lot from them.

We setup teams that are focused on the customer.  They use an extended version of customer based design that I created called Emotional Based Design.  I have always felt that customer first didn’t get to the heart of the drivers… which are emotions.

These guys uncover the customer journey, map it up, identify pain points and opportunity points and most important overlay the emotional response of customers as they progress through the journey.

Everything we do during the transformation is driven from these journey maps.  Every task maps back to these maps.

It is important to note that we define customers as both, internal and external.

When re-engineering or designing new processes we design them from the customers point of view – how would they like to use our services?  Traditionally processes were designed around the internal bureaucracy and, as we have all experienced, this can be a very frustrating experience.

We are now in the ‘age of the customer’.  Don’t give them what they want, they will leave, or if you are a government – vote you out of power.

Don’t forget your customer, or else you will waste your transformation and your money.

 

Steve

Bringing the spirit of leadership back.
Be Brave - Trust, Truth, Transparency.

Find yourself in this situation? Give me a call for a chat. I assist companies and leaders through this challenging time.

Steve: 0400 005 924

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