The Role of Customer Experience in the Successful Implementation of Digital Transformation Projects

The rise of Design Thinking

Thanks to the increasing popularity of Design Thinking, more and more people are getting in touch with the "design thought" and the concepts of user centricity and experience. They learn to put a stronger focus on the user when it comes to developing ideas for new projects, services and products. Projects in the field of digital transformation of companies and institutions also increasingly take up the user experience and design thinking approach. This is a right and important development. However, the view at this point often does not go far enough. Especially in the early phase of transformation projects, the user is not the customer or decision maker at the same time. The "customer experience" also has to be explicitly designed in order to make the implementation a success.

User vs. Customer

You'll often notice, especially in the company internal context and the B2B area, that customer and user are not the same persons. Especially at the beginning of a project or product development, it must be clearly analyzed who the customer is and who the user of the end result will be.

The user uses the product or service after the purchase decision has been made and the purchase has been completed. 

The customer is the person who makes the final purchase or implementation decision.

User Experience vs. Customer Experience

User Experience (UX) deals with the experiences that a user makes when interacting with a product or using a service. This can involve the use of a web application, the driving of a car or the booking of a trip at a travel agency.

Customer Experience (CX) deals with the overall perception that a (potential) customer of a brand or product has along all touch points. The CX is therefore more diverse and more comprehensive. There are various stages in the sales and usage process that have to be covered by the CX and designed in the best possible way. This can classically be the combination of physical stores, an online shop and a call center.

Simply put: The UX looks at the interaction of a person with a product or service, while the CX looks at the entire interaction with the company (or a project, department, etc.). The user experience is in the end only a part of the customer experience.

Why good Customer Experience enables Digital Transformation

The use of new technologies or software solutions is often tested and proven in pilots or projects. Successful implementation requires a team with the right balance between industry experience, design expertise and technology know-how. And what is needed most of all today is an outstanding customer experience right from the start. 

Especially when several projects are competing for limited resources, the question is which project or which topic receives the necessary support from management or investors. For this reason, it is crucial to consider all relevant stakeholders as customers of the project topic and to offer them the best possible experiences in every interaction and contact with the initiative.

Digital Customer Experience as a role model

The above described insights are not new. The achievement of a high acceptance for projects and transformation is classically referred to as change management. The same applies to the concept of user experience: the concept is not new either; for example, there have long been DIN standards on the subject of requirements management and user-friendliness. In both cases, however, the strong focus on the target group anchored in the concepts is very helpful because it makes it easier to imagine the relevant stakeholders, to put oneself in their shoes as customers or users of the product.

In addition, the concepts have undergone significant further development in the course of digitization. Here, the Digital Customer Experience (DCX) in particular offers approaches and metrics that classic change or transformation management does not fully consider and which can play a decisive role in the success of digitization projects. Some of them will be briefly explained in the following.

1) The project as a brand

In the business world, the brand determines the awareness and perception of a product or company among customers. The internet makes almost every area of our everyday life a commodity. This makes the brand factor even more important in the digital world. So turn your project into a brand. Here the wheel does not have to be reinvented in order to stand out from the crowd and achieve a superior perception among stakeholders. Define what your project stands for, what your mission is and communicate it clearly. Develop a logo, an appealing name, a core design and a website. Use internal and external marketing to make your brand better known and visible. The additional effort already pays off in the short to medium term.

2) Everything happens online

Studies show that for more than 65% of customers the experience on a website or in an app is at least a very important factor for the willingness to recommend a brand. This can be easily adapted to projects. Quickly create content that is accessible online. Share this content with the most relevant stakeholders and get early feedback. The mere fact that there is something to see and touch makes your project appear in a different light.

3) Everything happens mobile

Internet usage via tablets and smartphones today far exceeds usage via desktop PC or notebook. So make sure that the content that is shared online with stakeholders is mobile available and responsive for proper presentation in mobile browsers. Otherwise, the effect will be significantly weaker. Ideally, you can make your first content available as mobile click dummies or hybrid web apps. Even if the effort seems disproportionate at first glance, the procedure will remain in the memory of your stakeholders and the management will be more confident about your project.

4) Measurement of the Customer Experience

How stakeholders view the results of the transformation can often only be seen when it is too late and the project is either not carried out in the first place or is abandoned. This makes it all the more important to obtain measurable feedback on a regular basis. Here, too, metrics used in DCX research can help:

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): e.g. How likely would you tell a colleague/customer/partner about the digitization project?
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): e.g. How satisfied are you with the ideas developed by the project to solve problem X, Y, Z? How satisfied have you been with the results presented by the project?
• Customer Effort Score (CES): e.g. To what extent do you agree with the following statement: "The core messages of the concept developed by the project were presented in an understandable way."
• Response and Average Handling Time: e.g. How quickly do you respond to mails from the most important stakeholders? How quickly and with what priority are the tasks of the most important stakeholders completed?

Depending on the number of relevant stakeholders, you can consider placing the surveys anonymously via an online survey or planning 5 minutes extra time for filling out a questionnaire in a specific face-to-face meeting. Be creative.

Conclusion

If your digitization initiative depends heavily on the acceptance and approval of other stakeholders, treat them like customers. The customer is king and ultimately decides on success and one's own raison d'être. It is worth taking a look at companies that offer an outstanding digital customer experience. Many foundations have been laid and are accessible. The wheel does not have to be reinvented with regard to brand building and marketing. It is up to the project team to accept the additional effort, because it is usually not included in the project budget. In the long run, however, this will pay off.