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As 2021 has come and gone , many businesses are still responding to changes in the business environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic . The global crisis introduced the necessity to innovate , forcing many to rethink how they communicate with their customers and repackage product and service offerings for the new landscape – one that is defined by Digital Transformation .
The numbers illustrate this evolution . According to Statista , 97 % of respondents to a Digital Transformation survey stated that the pandemic sped up Digital Transformation processes in their respective organisations . Global spending on Digital Transformation is projected to reach US $ 1.78 trillion in 2022 . But in what ways will this transformation manifest . The answer lies in technological trends that will shape the businesses of tomorrow .
A single solution for omni-channel communications
As more businesses engage with their clients in online and remote spaces , there is a need to streamline and improve communication channels . The result is an omni-channel approach to the customer experience ( CX ), comprised of multiple platforms on which customers can engage with business operators and services . It ’ s a process that ’ s kept as simple as possible , while also being accessible and costeffective . You see this trend with the likes of Twitter and Instagram that , in addition to being social media products , now offer business-oriented features to facilitate B2C communication . Similarly , the latest WhatsApp Business platform feature gives brands the opportunity to offer an e-commerce experience within the WhatsApp conversation , thus making online interactions instant , easy and powerful .
But with so many channels , comes the need to manage them effectively and efficiently . Many companies do not have the resources or manpower to handle client conversations across a broad digital landscape . What ’ s needed is a single technological solution that has the capacity to manage all communication and serve as an end-to-end portal for the entire customer journey . By converging existing technologies , one platform could enable companies to track and collect crucial customer and CX data that can then be used to drive better business decisions and streamline issue solving . This is something businesses should investigate in the coming year .
Automation and humanity
Automation has been with us for centuries , but its application in the digital age is something entirely new . We are seeing it creep into almost every aspect of our
lives , with far-reaching and never-before-seen results .
Take , for instance , at sporting events such as the 2021 Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix , where fans could order tickets , procure refreshments , secure purchases , and get all their questions answered
through a chatbot that runs through WhatsApp . With the help of data reporting and features such a suggested answers , internal collaboration , and skillbased routing , the Dutch Grand Prix could interact with fans efficiently and effectively . This was made possible by deploying a customer data platform ( CDP ) to manage event pre-registration data and
using marketing cloud software to introduce attendee reductions due to the pandemic . The technology helped create a seamless experience for both event organisers and fans .
While this kind of technological automation has been focused around improving customer experience , it has the potential to impact employee experience ( EX ) as well . Because in 2022 , the notion of total experience is set to guide many business decisions . Strong CX
James Bayhack , Director , Sub-Saharan Africa , CM . com
Through mobile , businesses can introduce innovative solutions such as contactless payment methods , online registration processes and indeed , conversational channels .
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