The IT Customer Is Changing Fast, But Are They Happy?

November 15, 2016  |  Mark Hillary
IBA Group
Mark Hillary

I have read several studies recently that explore the strengthening connection between how companies use technology and how satisfied their customers are. Traditionally the CIO in a large organisation might be focused on processes, supply chain technology or managing systems used by employees – this is changing fast because of three important trends:

1. Consumer tech; look at the mobile system consumers are used to using today. They can compare prices, talk to friends globally, check customer reviews, and do all this while in your store or on your website. It’s not possible to charge more than the competition today because customers will see it immediately.

2. Tech platforms; the major systems applied inside companies used to be custom-built. Armies of analysts would design the workflow and another army of developers would build the system. Now it’s far more common to buy a system that can be deployed in the cloud and paid for only when it is used. This means that business divisions inside companies are buying major IT systems and deploying them possibly without even involving the CIO or IT team.

3. Blending customer responsibilities; all those clearly defined departments like sales, marketing, customer service, advertising, or PR, forget it. They need to start working together because customers have redefined how they interact with organisations and the companies need to reform and catch up – customer service IS now marketing.

There is a connection here. As the various research studies suggest, companies need to review how they are using technology, and in particular how this improves their connection to customers. Whether you are involved in IT department tasks or CIO-level decisions, or you are part of the business function within an organisation, there is a revolution taking place in the way that customers interact with your business and it is being driven by the technology being used both inside your company and by the customers.

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