Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 22 | Page 66

FINAL WORD Placing the customer at the centre As channel partners reshape their approach to a new customer base, they must turn to the priorities of the end-consumer to provide true business value to their clients. A recent report from Forrester highlighted how customer obsession is driving successful businesses. This model of operation involves placing customers at the centre of every business decision and informing every move with large amounts of customer data. Those operating within this business model are enjoying “higher revenue growth, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction”. The trend is only set to grow. For example, organisations such as Amazon pride themselves on this type of customer-centricity, making every decision to bolster customer experience and improve trust. To keep pace, businesses need to examine how they are addressing their customers needs in their wider business strategy. Consequently, channel partners must adjust their approach to ensure they are not only offering direct customer facing value Channel partners have had to begin addressing the needs of new decision makers. autonomy to handle issues as they appear. By having comprehensive network visibility, IT administrators are able to measure performance and quickly identify pain points – whether at the device level, in the network, the application or at the user interface. At the centre of this sits measurement and the ability to understand and adapt solutions based on performance. To put it simply, if you with their implementations but are providing tangible proof to non-technical stakeholders. Consider retailers, for example. Whether in-store or online, they can live and die by their ability to offer a seamless, efficient and secure service to customers that drives conversion. Bottlenecks in the system that grind the business to a halt can have a devastating impact on the bottom line. Revenue aside, if checkout staff are unable to operate efficiently at peak times, the brand’s entire reputation could ultimately be at stake. Moreover, the longer it takes to resolve customer issues, the greater the impact, including the potential loss of customers, reputation and ultimately revenue. To combat this, IT staff need the can’t measure, you can’t manage – visibility is vital for every aspect of the business to continually grow and develop processes and allow a company to remain competitive. This sort of intelligence allows a retailer to make changes – or invest in specific technologies – that focus on the issue at-hand. And the ultimate winner? The customer. As the IT team develops a new side of the organisation’s offering supported by a network of channel partners, customer- facing staff are freed up and made far more productive. These team members are then able to focus their energy on providing a better human experience for the end customers. Proving value across all areas of the business, not just for the IT team is important, but proving how the end customer ultimately wins is vital. Changing tides As business priorities continue to merge with those of the customer, so too must the focus of channel partners. Being able to provide a measurable impact to the end-user through successful technology implementations is integral to a lasting, successful relationship. As businesses undergo Digital Transformation at every level, channel partners must have the ability to adapt quickly as priorities shift and new technology and solutions are demanded. Ultimately, by understanding a customer- centric model and focusing on monitoring performance and investing in agility, channel partners will not only be able to support innovation, but also give the transparency to create real competitive differentiation, now and into the future. ˜ 66