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DXC Eclipse | White Paper

21 ideas to propel your business in the digital age

DXC Eclipse | White Paper

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21 ideas to propel your business in the digital ageDigital transformation may be the most overused term in business today, but there is good reason. Business systems have matured to take advantage of the data collected through processes, interactions and transactions. Relevant information allows businesses, nonprofits and public entities to transform the way they operate. The barriers have come down, allowing communication and commerce to flow freely.

In the new world of digital connectedness, the challenge is to personally and efficiently interact with prospects, customers, patients and constituents. We know now that the digital revolution is far from over. The ability to respond to change has become a key aspect of doing business, which makes it a journey. There is no “done” in today’s digital world.

In this white paper, we’ll help you envision how you can take advantage of the digital revolution in your own business. We’ll walk through concepts and provide real-world examples to help you see the value you can deliver to customers, employees — and your bottom line.

Here are 21 ideas to help you dream big and ready your business to thrive in the continuing journey of the digital age.

1. Offer consistent customer experiences across the web, social media, email or in person.

It’s a tall order to be able to support all the ways customers expect to transact, interact and communicate in today’s digital world. The first step in delivering frictionless, personalized experiences — from self-service portals to mobile apps to well-informed service agents — is centralized customer data. With customer transaction history, preferences and interactions all in one place, you’ll have the flexibility to support great customer experiences through any channel.

2. Design services and products based on data-driven customer insights.

Turn your data into a competitive advantage by analyzing customer preferences and behaviors. Using historical data, you can build an understanding of purchase patterns to predict the products and services customers are likely to purchase next. Sentiment analysis provides insight into emerging trends in comments so you can act on potential issues or capitalize on an opportunity.

Combine data from both internal and external sources, such as social sites, to build even deeper insights into your customers’ needs. Move from reactive to proactive, leading your customers and your industry with innovative product and service offerings.

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Here are 21 ideas to help you dream big and ready your business to thrive in the continuing journey of the digital age. 2

Propel your business into the digital age 8

Why DXC Eclipse? 9

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DXC Eclipse | White Paper

Most discussions of omnichannel — which simply means interacting with customer through a combination of web, email, chat and in person — focus on retail experiences. But omnichannel can help deliver great customer experiences in any industry.

For instance, let’s say that a regional heating, ventilation and air conditioning company invites customers to schedule service appointments on its website or via phone. If technicians are delayed, the company will send a text or call, based on customer preferences, when they are on their way. Seasonal emails also help to remind customers to schedule preventive maintenance check-ups and promote additional services, such as installation of all-house generators or plumbing services.

3. Engage with customers and partners through collaborative portals.

Deliver a best-in-class web engagement experience where customers or business partners can communicate and collaborate. Provide case resolution while giving customers the opportunity to self-serve with group collaboration and knowledge guides — including a keyword-driven suggestion engine. Create a supportive and collaborative community for distributors, independent agents, suppliers or others who are extensions of your business.

4. Unify visibility across departments, business units and referral partners for a seamless customer experience.

The relationships your customers have with your company are rarely confined to one person or department. Whether they’re speaking to an account representative, service manager or delivery person, customers expect each of your employees to be informed.

To provide an efficient, personalized customer experience, all employees need to have a unified, continuous view of customer interactions. Unify systems to ensure that a single source of information — covering even the most recent interactions — is delivered to your employees wherever they are working.

For instance, when a patient is referred to a specialist for additional diagnosis or treatment, filling out endless forms is frustrating and time-consuming. A regional physician clinic decided to make those initial visits to specialists easier. By digitally sharing patient information, referral physicians received critical data, from test results to clinical history, before the patient arrived. Shared information allows primary doctors to review treatments and outcomes, providing coordinated healthcare services.

5. Use predictive modeling to assist sales.

Bring the full knowledge and experience of the business to the front lines of customer interactions. Relevant data analysis should be natively infused throughout the system to deliver insight to employees on the front lines.

Salespeople can focus on prospects ready to buy with scoring based on win/loss probability, customer interactions and other data points. During sales conversations, the system can dynamically prompt salespeople to suggest additional products and services customers are likely to need — all built through predictive analytics.

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6. Empower service agents with relevant information, resources and complete customer context.

When support agents have centralized customer information, they can manage cases faster and provide more personalized service. Machine learning and advanced analytics capabilities guide agents through common problems — suggesting the next best action and directing them to tools, resources and data to quickly resolve issues. Automate workflows to guide agents to relevant resources and data for faster resolutions and more personalized, effective levels of support.

For instance, a fitness equipment manufacturer serving gyms and physical therapy centers launched a new line of products. The new fitness machines were best suited to facilities offering orthopedic therapy programs. Initial sales were slow, so the manufacturer analyzed the previous purchases of all of its customers. Based on purchase profiles, the manufacturer identified those customers most likely to be interested in the new line of equipment. A targeted email marketing campaign and package promotion resulted in a record number of sales.

7. Give leaders and employees end-to-end insight to improve decision quality and timeliness.

Through fully integrated business management systems, employees get “one version of the truth” instead of having to cross-check and validate information across multiple systems. Visibility into orders, inventory, production schedules and warehouses empower employees to respond quickly to requests, change orders and exceptions. Provide decision makers deeper information to resolve exceptions and support nonroutine transactions.

8. Streamline sales processes with a “single pane of glass.”

As salespeople move from step to step in the sales process — checking past pricing in customer history and then entering the sales order — they shouldn’t have to log in and out of applications, losing concentration and adding potential for errors. When salespeople can access business application data and tasks — such as customer data, inventory and service schedules — directly from a single interface, they are more efficient and deliver better customer service.

For example, call center agents for an auto parts distributor couldn’t trust the inventory numbers in their order entry system. Agents would put the customer on hold to call the warehouse before promising delivery. With the new, fully integrated system, the inventory now reflects available, promised and on-order quantities, so agents are confident in guaranteeing that the part will be there on time.

9. Provide collaborative and shared workspaces for employees.

Help your sales team remain productive and connected no matter where they are working. Portals, document sharing, project management sites, voice/video services and more allow you to design collaborative systems that serve the unique requirements of your business. A central location or portal enables employees to build compelling proposals and airtight contracts on tight timelines across time zones. Surface and use conversations from social engagement sites to foster communication and collaboration.

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10. Simplify human resources services with self-service and automated workflows.

As more millennials join the workforce and all employees become more technically savvy, human resources services need to be updated and streamlined. Employee experiences should be made easy by managing schedules, expenses and benefits online. Smooth onboarding ensures that new employees have the right applications, devices and training set up on their first day of work. With integrated human capital management systems, you can replace cumbersome paper processes through automated workflows and employee self-service functionality.

For example, as a government contractor grew, the process of responding to requests for proposals had become unwieldy and error-prone. Proposals were emailed to each of the appropriate departments for comments, making version control impossible. To resolve the issue, the company set up a proposal portal, with shared files and dashboards to track the progress of responses. Workflows guide proposals to each department, keeping one active version. Threaded conversations support real-time interactions and documentation.

11. Connect the front and back offices for unified organizational insight.

Information should flow seamlessly across your organization, not stopping and starting over in each department. With integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM), the salesperson can check on current product pricing and customer history while working on the sales quote. Generating a sales order should automatically task relevant employees with making or distributing the product. In the back office, an integrated system supports accurate forecasts based on sales pipeline, aligning purchases and production schedules more closely with realistic expectations.

For instance, a healthcare organization providing in-home patient services had a serious scheduling problem. During their visits, nurses often needed to schedule in-office doctor appointments for their patients. To schedule the appointments, the nurse would call the main office, coordinate a time that worked for the patient and the doctor. Addressing the challenge, the company now provides nurses with tablets and access to scheduling. Now nurses can easily find a time that works for the patient and set up the appointment. In addition, nurses can update results of their home visits in real time — instead of waiting until they get back to the office each day.

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12. Increase service and sales efficiency with intent analysis.

Detect, tag and monitor the intent of Twitter and Facebook posts based on the sentiments authors express. Intent could include interest in making a purchase, a complaint, an information query or a support request. Respond proactively based on the intent of the post. Notify the sales department of purchase opportunities, or reach out with an offer to customers who post a complaint. Respond instantly with a solution or offer of technical support when a customer tweets about a service problem.

13. Use workflows and automation to streamline manual financial processes.

Automated workflows support efficient processes that coordinate activities across sales, service, finance and other teams. When the salesperson has to track down a manager to get approval for special pricing, the customer ends up waiting on hold. An automated workflow will usher the request for pricing through digital channels, alerting the manager for instant response.

For instance, the job of a shipping company’s sales team was simple: Make sure the container ships were full when they left port. As the last slots for each ship filled up, the salesroom was in total chaos as last-minute discounts were negotiated between customers and the ship’s master. To smooth out the process, the shipping company implemented and integrated a CRM system. Now, salespeople can see in real time which slots are available. To fill the final slots, salespeople are empowered to negotiate within predefined discount allowances.

14. Coordinate materials management to increase visibility, optimize placement and ensure availability when needed.

Integrated materials management will ensure that people working in the field have the supplies they need to be productive and deliver great customer service. Service technicians should know what parts to load on the truck before heading out for a repair. Home health workers are more efficient and don’t have to load up on extra materials when they have a specific list of supplies they need for each patient they will visit.

15. Reduce downtime with proactive service and maintenance.

Through the Internet of Things (IoT), you can monitor the status of machines deployed in the field — from engine parts to oxygen tanks. Preventive maintenance calls keep machines running without interruption and when there is a problem, you can send the best-qualified technician for the job. Reducing unplanned service calls gives employees more predictable hours and cuts overtime costs.

16. Simplify compliance management with automated workflows, documentation and reporting.

Help customers trying to keep pace with government regulations, industry standards and corporate quality initiatives. By automating processes and reporting, you can provide customers with the documentation they need to reduce the risks and costs of compliance. With a fully integrated business management system, audit trails and user-based security are natively in place. Build competitive edge by using workflows to accumulate documentation, such as quality testing or hazardous materials warnings, to accompany products delivered to your customers.

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17. Support personalized, efficient service delivery in the field with connected data.

Provide service technicians with complete customer insight, real-time guidance and easy communication. You can provide instructions to service agents through their phone or tablet to increase first-time fix rates and on-time delivery performance. With real-time communication and collaboration between customer service, dispatch, field agents and customers, your team can achieve the highest efficiency and meet customer expectations.

For instance, the hospitals that a biomedical device manufacturer served faced increasing transparency requirements, requiring more documentation. By implementing a materials and item barcode tracking system, the manufacturer was able to provide full disclosure on device materials and production. Item history included production dates, materials information, quality testing data and more. Product warranty and disclaimer information accompanied each device through production and shipping.

18. Realign business models to capitalize on emerging markets.

Businesses are reinventing themselves every day through new business models that capitalize on digitally enabled commerce. Using data as a strategic asset, you can offer new customer experiences, wrap digital services around products and reach untapped markets. Centralized business management systems allow your business to evaluate and test new revenue streams. You can expand distribution channels, add services or enter new markets without big software investments.

19. Use product sentiment and market trends to inspire product design.

The relationship between customer and vendor is changing. Customers want to help shape the products and services they consume. Through social media and data analytics, you can tap the collective consciousness of your prospects and customers to build the products and services they want. Use customer feedback to identify design problems quickly and take corrective action — before your reputation takes a hit. Make use of historic and public data to stay ahead of competitors, identifying preferences and industry trends.

For instance, responding to requests from tenants to increase energy efficiency and safety, a real estate management company installed smart sensors in its buildings. From heat pumps to appliances, the company can now monitor energy usage to identify units that need replacement. Motion detector-switch lighting saves energy while providing bright illumination when needed to keep residents safer.

20. Stay ahead of your market with social data analysis.

Every business — even manufacturers and distributors selling through channels — can monitor consumer and industry trends through intent analysis of comments posted on social media. Social data can be applied to optimize product design and forecasting. Feedback gathered from customers through social sentiment analysis helps corporate buyers stay ahead of emerging trends.

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21. Add value to customers through embedded sensors that monitor use, maintenance or other functions.

The IoT is opening new opportunities in many industries through data-collecting sensors embedded in products. For the products themselves, companies can use the data collected to monitor wear, optimize performance and warn of failure, enabling them to send service techs out proactively before a problem interrupts service. And sensors can also collect information on building systems, for example, to save energy and improve safety.

For example, a clothing manufacturer built a loyal community of customers, primarily young women. The manufacturer is considering carrying a new line of brightly colored tunics — a contrast to its current pastel lines. To predict the potential for success of the new line, the manufacturer extracted data from previous sales, social posts and reviews for similar products. Social posts and reviews reflected a strong interest in bolder colors, suggesting that the new line could be a real hit.

Propel your business into the digital age

DXC Eclipse will guide you through the planning process to position your organization to thrive in the digital future. We help organizations like yours maximize the strategic value of technology, including Microsoft Dynamics 365, to achieve your tactical and operational goals and objectives.

We’ll support your business strategy and desired customer experiences through mindful planning, turbocharging your business and maximizing the value of your investment.

Our services include:

• Business process and performance improvement: Identifying and prioritizing areas for improvements across all locations and business functions, including supply chain, operations and finance. Establish KPIs and baseline metrics from which to set improvement goals and track whether benefits have been realized.

• Customer experience improvement: Develop strategies for improving both the customer and the user experience. Align people, process and technology to consistently deliver what your customers value. Reduce friction along the customer journey from order placement and receipt to returns, repairs, invoicing and collections — across all channels of engagement, including self-service portals.

• Business-driven enterprise IT strategy: Includes strategy for data management and roadmaps to sequence initiatives that may include ERP, business intelligence and analytics, configurators, customer/vendor portals, and integration with ERP. Includes identifying the most relevant and suitable strategies to enable cloud, software as a service (SaaS), security and disaster recovery for the business.

• Business transformation and organizational change: Reinforce project and business outcomes through established change leadership and strategies for successful adoption: communication, involvement, organization design, job redefinition, process training and more.

DXC Eclipse | White Paper

Why DXC Eclipse?

DXC Eclipse, a practice within DXC Technology, helps enterprise and mid-market companies accelerate digital transformation, solve business challenges and deliver intelligent solutions that make a difference for clients, employees and partners. We believe in delivering expertise, project transparency and excellent customer service in every engagement.

With team members in North America, EMEA, Asia and Australia-New Zealand, we are uniquely positioned to deliver Microsoft Dynamics 365, ERP, CRM, business process, analytics and collaboration solutions to clients across the globe. The largest independent Microsoft Dynamics partner in the world, DXC Eclipse serves more than 4,000 clients across multiple industries. Our practice delivers services and solutions that positively impact our world today and into the future.

Learn more at www.dxc.technology/dxceclipse

About DXC Technology

DXC Technology (DXC: NYSE) is the world’s leading independent, end-to-end IT services company, serving nearly 6,000 private and public-sector clients from a diverse array of industries across 70 countries. The company’s technology independence, global talent and extensive partner network deliver transformative digital offerings and solutions that help clients harness the power of innovation to thrive on change. DXC Technology is recognized among the best corporate citizens globally. For more information, visit www.dxc.technology.

© 2018 DXC Technology Company. All rights reserved. ECL-087. September 2018

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