Companies live and die by customer service. The view of customer service within an organization varies considerably depending on perspective. Those on the front line see it as a critical function. They understand how customer experience helps a company to stand out from the competition. An outstanding customer service experience attracts new clients and helps to retain existing clients.
IT departments often see customer service as a challenge, a function that requires considerable resources and maintenance. From a financial perspective, leadership teams view customer service as a cost center. It’s expensive, and improvement means spending even more money.
Companies are increasingly turning to XaaS solutions to address all of these needs. Cloud-based IT solutions help a company to improve customer experience with the latest new technology. Moving from onsite systems to cloud-based alternatives can reduce the resources needed for installation, support, and maintenance.
XaaS appeals to CIOs because it cuts operating costs. Instead of a capital-intensive project with ongoing fixed costs, the flexibility of XaaS means expenditures can be easily reduced or shifted.
All of this sounds great, but a successful XaaS implementation is dependent on all stakeholders being part of the process. They must have a shared vision for customer experience.
In 2016, McKinsey & Company published an article called “Developing a Customer-Experience Vision.” XaaS was just beginning to hit the radar of many companies at that time. The article includes valuable wisdom that is just as relevant as it was three years ago.
“To build internal momentum for initiatives that develop a unique customer experience, a company must understand how that helps it perform in the market. The conviction and shared aspiration that stems from understanding the customer experience an organization wants to deliver can inspire, align, and guide it. In addition, it can bring innovation, energy, and a human face to what would otherwise just be a strategy.”
How does a company ensure it has a shared vision for customer experience? That’s easier said than done using in-house resources. Everyone has a stake in the project and their approach often reflects their view of the customer experience. There is a risk that business units in an organization will drive the project to meet their requirements. The business units would downplay (or not even being aware of) the impact on other parts of the business.
Partnering with an experienced XaaS vendor is the key to cloud transformation success. With comprehensive knowledge of multiple XaaS providers, they work with companies to ensure the best solutions are adopted. Critically, before those decisions are ever made, they will ensure there is a shared vision for customer experience.
The vendor team identifies the business units that are stakeholders and engage them to identify their needs. Detailed requirements are drawn up that reflect all identified needs and goals. The vendor then ensures that company leaders sign off on all identified goals.
Discover How to Evaluate A Vendor
Armed with requirements that reflect a shared vision for customer experience, the XaaS project has the solid foundation needed to ensure the best solutions are chosen. This is the key starting point for a winning XaaS implementation that lives up to expectations.
