Discover what digital transformation trends will power business growth in 2021
As we wrap up the final days of 2020, we take a look at four key trends of digital transformation which we think will shape the success of businesses in 2021.
Customer 360 and Customer-centricity
Customer-centricity, showing empathy and meeting Customers’ unique needs, expectations and challenges have never been more important. These can only be achieved by creating a Customer 360 which unites teams business-wide to create extraordinary experiences for their Customers through shared data and insight. Customer Service and call-centre management, for example, will continue to transform through Service Cloud and Service Voice, helping businesses adapt, strengthen, improve and digitise the way they service their Customers.
If you haven’t already, please watch a great video our Customer GoCardless explaining their journey to successfully reimplementing Salesforce; “How GoCardless Drive Efficiency and Customer Experience With Salesforce” which was featured at Salesforce Live.
Salesforce recently published ‘State of the Connected Customer’ which provides insights from 15,000+ global consumers and business buyers on a new era of customer engagement which has seen Customer engagement completely transform with unprecedented scale and speed. With more digital touchpoints out there than ever before, there is untold rich Customer data out there waiting to be used to help businesses create exceptional Customer experiences!
Democratising access to data
Democratising access to data and building a data culture throughout every organisation will certainly be a major trend in 2021 as people seek to make timely data-driven decisions . No longer will data be the possession of only a few. In recent YouGov research for Tableau, 80% of data-led businesses said it gives a critical advantage during the pandemic and 68% are optimistic about the future of their business. You can read more and download their free ebook here.
There are huge untapped benefits of empowering people from across a whole organisation with real-time interactive dashboards, advanced visual analytics and enhanced business intelligence which can help them come up with solutions and make quick, informed decisions. Transforming data into actionable insights for everyone in a business using Tableau will help individuals and business leaders feel empowered and help them lead through change.
Employee Experience takes centre stage
Businesses have long spoken about Customer Experience, but 2020 has seen a seismic shift to an all-digital, work from anywhere world and the employee has stepped up the priority list of most businesses.
Employee Experience and Customer Experience have become inextricably linked in 2020 as companies start to prioritise employees just as much as Customers. Some employees have welcomed the flexibility that comes with remote working, but many miss those everyday in-person conversations and are hungry for the collaboration, networking and innovation which it presents. Simple things such as sharing information and insight in the kitchen whilst you make your 5th cup of tea just hasn’t been possible in 2020, and many employees are turning to tech to assist them with their loss.
The shift to remote working has highlighted holes where people previously shared and found data and insight which has accelerated the demand for a single source of truth for employees to turn to. Employees will also understandably seek more support for their wellness and productivity as we enter 2021, and businesses will continue to establish these needs through surveys and then engage and support people with a range of initiatives.
Accelerated Digital Transformation
Digital transformation has become a matter of survival in this digital-first world and the pace of transformation has quickened significantly in 2020. Where digital transformation projects previously were planned over 2-3 years, 2021 will see these accelerate in line with rapidly changing Customer, staff and market evolutions and rolled out in months. The time to value and driving meaningful outcomes will be even more focused in 2021.
But whilst being agile and pivoting at speed will be key in 2021, there will be even greater value from taking stock of where you are, how well your business and systems are working, and where you need to get to. Business analysis, creating a Blueprint for success as well as a roadmap will be key to ensuring everything is well considered, the best solutions are explored and everyone is aligned in where they’re going!
Whilst the future for 2021 is still uncertain, change will be constant. Those companies which are agile and embrace change whilst listening to all their stakeholders will be the ones who are most prepared for whatever comes ahead…
