Content
1 In search of the total strategy
2 Customer-company-technology
3 Methodology and tools
4 be everywhere
5 Know everything
6 Implement omnichannel
7 Advice from professionals
8 Partial changes or from the base?
In search of the total strategy
Today, the omni prefix figures in the digital ecosystem as the basis of a concept whose mission is to transform the relationship between brands and customers, improve the user experience , take advantage of different communication channels to meet their expectations and, of course, improve sales and return on investment . Its accompaniment denotes totality, for example, being everywhere (omnipresence) and knowing everything (omniscience). No one should be surprised that both nouns have a place in this concept.
Omnichannel is business theory and practice ; However, a halo of mystery surrounds it since knowing a case of total implementation is like reaching Utopia. Being omnichannel requires planning , it is not only deciding whether to serve the customer physically or online, or through a device, (that is what multi-channel is focused on). This concept goes further and requires the creation of a strategy that personalizes the process from recruitment to post-sale and, in a transversal way, design the technological and operational structure.
Here are some basics for understanding omnichannel and share our experience as technology solution providers.
Client-company-technology
This triad is the starting point. In principle, you have to know that technology by itself does not achieve the changes , you need a diagnosis of the company and the market that will start the transformation. The paradigm shift upsets all organizations and tests their adaptability. Omnichannelity places the customer at the center of efforts in all areas ; The objective is to satisfy a user who, due to the increase in digital devices, has become accustomed to having services, products and communicating with brands, when, where and however.
Methodology and tools
The method is the way, therefore, the one that provides the tools that facilitate the implementation will be the correct one. Whether it is Customer Journey Map, Lean Management, Design thinking or quality and business maturity diagnostics, among others, the important thing is that they prioritize the interrelation of channels so that the customer’s needs flow at each stage of the process . For example, the user must be able to initiate a transaction on the mobile phone, make a clarification in the Contact Center , consult product information online and complete the purchase in the physical store without problems and perceiving the same brand identity.
Be everywhere
There was a time when the user adapted to the communication channels of companies; never more. Nowadays, the client is at a touch of the screen all the time , therefore, the immediacy of the response is key. So is consistency in all interaction channels and experiencing a journey without complications, that is, if the user changes lane, the continuity of the process is not lost. Also, personalized offers save time, the provider must collect enough information to identify the interests of each user. The customer is already omnichannel; it is the turn of the companies.
To know everything
With each interaction, customers provide data, therefore, omnichannel is committed to total user knowledge. For this, technological solutions are necessary , for example, a CRM that segments and identifies the movements in the funnel; Big Data applied to the user experience in real time with geolocation and behavior tracking; personalized service, product and content offerings based on machine learning; creation of virtual environments (shop windows, shops, vending machines) to have absolute availability … plus whatever is invented this week. All are tangible options for gathering data and turning it into useful information.
Implement omnichannel
Regardless of being a company born in the digital or traditional environment, approaching omnichannel will bring changes in the structure. Before launching in search of technological solutions, it is important to align internal culture and communication through campaigns that explain the concept and its benefits. A diagnosis is required to identify areas of opportunity related to customer satisfaction and thus achieve a detailed segmentation. As a consequence of the diagnosis, the technological needs will appear.
Advice from professionals
An expert look can help define solutions based on business characteristics, and once chosen, training and adoption is required. As technology service providers we know that not all industries require the same solutions , in addition, companies have a degree of digitization that it is possible to take advantage of . Experience confirms that in the search for an omnichannel strategy, one must advance in phases and know how to prioritize areas for improvement.
In our success stories, we have modernized communications through contact centers in the pharmaceutical sector ; remote work and distance education have been facilitated through collaborative solutions ; in the chemical industry , analog communication technology was replaced by cloud hosting ; in the financial sector , videoconferencing solutions were implemented to connect national headquarters and offices around the world; a foundation’s health care capacity was expanded through voice and data platforms, among others. In each experience, the changes were translated into staggered actions that added value and improved the customer experience across channels and touchpoints.
Partial changes or from the base?
In the search for total customer management, it is possible to innovate without representing transformation , sometimes only more of the same is added. But if the objective is a fundamental change, it is worth thinking of a strategy that combines and orders the parts: customer-company-technology. In this way, properties emerge that did not exist when the elements functioned individually. The omnichannel strategy disrupts all areas of the company, flows in and out, and implies cultural and thinking changes. In the search for totality, nothing is isolated; the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
