Digitalisation is a phenomenon that is also rapidly transforming the service sector. The customer is the reigning king, which means that business processes have to be reshaped with an ever-stronger focus on user-friendliness, speed and efficiency. New technologies, IT services in the cloud and smart systems using artificial intelligence are just a few new developments reshaping the present and future state of the service industry.
Digitalisation makes it possible to develop innovative products, services and business models that offer plenty of room for personalisation. This allows you to approach the customer in a more targeted and personal way with tailor-made products, services and content.
The digitalisation of the business sector is mainly driven by four major trends. Let’s take a quick look at them.
People are and will remain at the centre of all activities in the service sector. Marketers who champion the customer’s experiences and needs and have a golden opportunity to improve their brand’s bottom line. Customer needs and desires should always be leading when it comes to the design of your organisation, communication, products, services, processes and systems. Truly knowing the customer and their needs is an absolute must if you want to put their interests first. All your processes should work towards this goal and combine the best of two worlds: digital where possible and a physical advisor or salesperson where necessary.
Productivity is critical to the profitability of service organisations. By streamlining work processes and automating tasks, service providers can focus on the activities that add extra value to their business. Moreover, they can also perform those core tasks faster.
Many sales and back-office processes still require serious improvement. Standardised and structured procedures allow teams to spend less time on dull and repetitive tasks and more energy on the exceptional activities that add value to your services. Rapid access to information, automated processes, the use of artificial intelligence and case management systems have a major (and positive!) impact on the financial results.
Self-service tools allow you to provide online support to your customers without requiring any interaction with a representative from your company. It allows customers to take care of things themselves whenever they feel like it. Applying for a mortgage online? Arranging tax returns in the evenings? A proper self-service solution makes it possible. The most important points of attention when it comes to automation and offering self-service solutions? User-friendliness, accessibility and speed.
Good communication is also indispensable. More and more business service providers communicate with their customers through various channels. Chat(bots), WhatsApp, virtual assistants and social media are a couple of modern examples. Today’s customers also expect to receive immediate answers to pressing questions. The principle of “anywhere, anytime and any screen” requires a technological change that enables companies to effectively meet modern customer expectations.
Many service providers regularly store and manage personal data. Therefore, it is important that they take measures to comply with privacy legislation—in particular, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Organisations must handle customer data with care and protect that information adequately. When a company breaks the rules, hefty fines are sure to follow. Privacy by design should always be a no-brainer when it comes to designing, developing and managing your systems.
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Make an appointmentTechnological innovation is without a doubt one of the most important forces within the service sector. Innovation offers opportunities and risks, a fact that applies to both established and new market parties and has an impact on the services sector as a whole.
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