FINAL WORD
With customer expectation for a seamless digital experience at an all-time high , the idea of a ‘ digitalready culture ’ has become increasingly important .
The urgency and disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to organisations facing more pressure than ever to digitise . Global lockdowns have increased the demand for digital services and raised customer expectations for a frictionless experience . Agility and the ability to innovate quickly are now fundamental for organisations ’ survival . This has prompted organisations to accelerate their Digital Transformation initiatives rapidly . Yet many have already seen that Digital Transformation requires more than simply investing in new technologies – it calls for a fundamental re-think of their existing IT operating models . There are five key trends that will shape organisations ’ digital journeys as they continue to address these pressures .
Embracing a ‘ digital ready ’ culture
With customer expectation for a seamless digital experience at an all-time high , the idea of a ‘ digital-ready culture ’ has become increasingly important . This is characterised by an emphasis on new service delivery models , which enable organisations to engage with customers via their preferred channels . To do so requires a high level of agility and the ability to rapidly innovate to deliver the new digital capabilities that customers are calling for .
Organisations will therefore increasingly see the benefits of API-led connectivity for enabling reuse of existing digital capabilities , to speed up the delivery of new IT projects . Legal & General is already demonstrating the benefits of an API-led approach . It can now build products and services 2.5 times faster than before , by simply allowing its teams to adapt and reuse the same APIs for new projects . By reusing 60 to 70 % of APIs across the organisation , Legal & General has dramatically accelerated its Digital Transformation roadmap , as its IT teams don ’ t have to start new projects from scratch each time .
Automating customer journeys
Customer experience initiatives such as improving query resolution times and simplifying the call centre journey have prompted organisations to take a closer look at automation . In principle , automating elements of customer engagement can deliver substantial benefits for the customer : methods such as self-authentication , for example , can enable customers to be put through to speak with the right service teams more quickly .
However , many organisations aren ’ t equipped to take advantage of automation . All too often , the practice of storing valuable customer data across disparate silos limits the effectiveness of automation capabilities . Breaking down these silos to unlock the value of customer data has therefore become a priority . APIs are critical in this regard . By placing APIs in front of data sources , organisations can draw out the relevant customer data from each one , enabling them to create a single view of the customer that drives more effective automation in their digital journey .
Reducing technical debt
The pandemic ’ s urgent challenges led to a surge in the number of new digital products
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS Issue 41 67