IT decision makers tend to be inside-out in their thinking about technology, especially those who are rooted in the pre-Internet world. This approach has worked well in an environment of scarcity, where the technology was complex, costs were high, and knowledge was not widely distributed.
All of that changed as we evolved from analog to a digital world, but we still have a long way to go. Legacy technology remains deeply entrenched, and so long as we still have digital immigrants in the workforce, this transformation will be a gradual process.
Today, it’s much harder for IT to impose its will on workers and deploy technology unilaterally. We are now all technology users, and the knowledge gap between IT and workers isn’t as wide. Not only are some workers more up to date than IT on certain technologies, but they also have choices now that are beyond IT’s purview. There’s more of a two-way dynamic in the relationship between IT and “end users,†and an inside-out approach may not be best for the business overall.
The Digital Transformation Dilemma
Digital transformation remains a strong theme going into 2020, and IT needs a clear strategy to manage this ongoing process. Not only is this important to steer the organization right, but it’s also needed to ensure that IT can “own†digital transformation – presuming of course, that IT wants that mantle. Otherwise, management will devise its own digital transformation strategy, which may or may not be good news for IT’s future.
In most cases, IT does want to drive this process, and my takeaways from several recent industry events indicate that a different approach will be needed. Inside-out works well when you control the levers, but that’s not the case now. IT must take a more holistic view of the environment. In this context, digital transformation aligns with another major trend, namely CX – customer experience. Just as IT can no longer assume end users will take the technology they’re given, the business can no longer take its customers for granted.
As with tech-savvy end users who can bypass IT, customers now have more alternatives to what you’re selling. There will always be a cheaper option or a hungrier competitor, and it’s not enough just to offer your wares for sale. Customers want to feel valued, and providing a great CX is a big part of that. This has become a strategic driver for many businesses, and more than ever before, communications technology has a central role to play.
Making Digital Transformation About CX
For IT to remain relevant, this dilemma must be addressed, and it requires a complete turn of focus. What’s really needed is an outside-in approach, where CX drives everything else. The first step is to define what makes for a great CX, and that will require an upfront effort. Becoming customer-centric isn’t easy, but if you believe this is the best way to stay competitive, the work needs to be done. Once that’s in place, then IT must work backwards to determine what technologies will be needed to properly support both workers in the office and agents in the contact center.
This sets the stage for a very different path towards digital transformation. As the organization becomes more digital, IT must look beyond how new technology impacts end users. That impact is certainly important, but IT needs to take things a step further and also consider the impact on customers. Ultimately, digital transformation has to translate into a better CX, and if only the needs of workers are considered, the strategy will fail.
By now it should be clear there’s an extensive journey involved, and digital transformation presents a great opportunity to connect several dots in powerful ways. No doubt, IT will be held in high regard by empowering workers with great collaboration tools and digital platforms that drive productivity. However, when that is filtered through the lens of improving CX, that’s where the impact of digitization can become truly transformative.
Coming back to taking a holistic view, this also speaks to how IT’s role is fundamentally changing. These aren’t the challenges IT was facing five years ago, and digital transformation is clearly impacting where and how IT can bring value. If not just for simple self-preservation. IT must be adaptable so it can move beyond the outmoded model of inside-out technology management. Just as workers will need new skills for a more digital workplace, IT will need new approaches to support an outside-in model where everything flows from providing great CX.