Stakeholder value: IT meets customer journey

Our expectations of products and services are high. The competition is just a click away. Nobody scores points with half-thought-out ideas. At the same time, technology is developing rapidly. This presents IT professionals with challenges. Not only management, but also IT departments must be able to create stakeholder value.

One methodology that has become established in recent years is user-centered service design. Also known as customer centricity or the customer journey. This concept visualizes customer needs and touchpoints in order to derive requirements and use cases. The concept is often used in marketing and sales scenarios. However, it is also suitable for complex technical use cases.

Companies must focus on the needs and expectations of their customers. Customer centricity is more than just a marketing or sales approach. It is a fundamental orientation of the entire company. When companies focus on their customers, they can not only improve their market position. They can create long-term sustainable success and value for everyone involved.

IT as an enabler for customer experience

IT professionals today are far more than just problem solvers and system administrators. They drive innovative technologies that enable seamless customer experiences through user-centered service design. An effective IT infrastructure helps to exceed customers expectations and stand out from the competition. IT plays a central role at every stage of the customer journey - from initial interaction to long-term loyalty.

Some examples of where IT promotes better customer experiences:

1. CRM systems (Customer Relationship Management):
Example: Companies such as Salesforce or Hubspot offer CRM solutions that enable information to be stored and managed centrally. This not only makes it easier to track interactions, but also supports sales and marketing in identifying sales opportunities and personalizing campaigns.
Advantage: A central database promotes a coherent and consistent approach across all touchpoints, resulting in a uniform and satisfying experience.

2. personalized services:
Example: Streaming services such as Netflix and music platforms such as Spotify use algorithms to recommend personalized content based on the user's preferences and behaviour.
Advantage: These personalized recommendations increase the relevance of the content offered and thus increase satisfaction and loyalty.

3. omnichannel experiences:
Example: Retailers such as IKEA and Zara rely on omnichannel strategies that allow them to switch seamlessly between online and offline channels. For example, customers can shop online and pick up or return the goods in-store.
Advantage: These seamless experiences reduce friction points and offer flexibility and convenience.

4. self-service portals:
Example: Many banks and insurance companies offer self-service portals that can be used to carry out transactions, view documents or make inquiries independently.
Advantage: Self-service options give customers control over their interactions with the company, which increases efficiency and reduces the burden on service.

How IT professionals influence the customer journey

People interact with companies at various touchpoints along their customer journey. IT professionals play a critical role in optimizing these touchpoints and ensuring that each touchpoint provides a positive experience. They develop and implement systems that enable a smooth interaction between customers and companies. This includes websites, mobile apps, CRM systems and more. By seamlessly integrating these technologies, companies can deliver consistent and satisfying experiences across all channels.

IT professionals can develop tools to create and manage surveys and feedback forms. This allows them to collect and analyze direct feedback in order to identify potential for improvement. They can also gain valuable insights into customers' opinions and experiences from social media and other online platforms. This data helps them to react quickly to problems and continuously optimize the customer journey.

Best practices for IT professionals

To successfully shape the customer journey and maximize stakeholder value, it is crucial that IT professionals integrate concrete strategies and best practices into their daily work. We have put together some practical tips and tools for you:

1. Promoting a customer-oriented mindset
    
   • Training and workshops: Regular training courses and workshops on customer centricity strengthen the IT team's awareness and understanding of customer needs.
    
   • Customer journey mapping: Customer journey maps help to visualize the customer's perspective and identify areas that can be improved.
 
2. Effective communication and collaboration
    
   • Cross-functional teams: Collaboration between IT and other departments such as marketing, sales and customer service promotes a holistic view of customer needs.
    
   • Regular meetings: Regular meetings with representatives from different departments collect feedback and work out solutions together.
 
3. Continuous collection and analysis of customer feedback
    
   • Set up feedback loops: The implementation of feedback loops makes it possible to continuously collect customer opinions and implement improvements.
    
   • NPS (Net Promoter Score): The Net Promoter Score measures customer satisfaction and loyalty and analyzes trends.
    

Concrete tips and tools for integrating the customer perspective

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
    
   • Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM: CRM systems manage customer information centrally and enable personalized interactions. These tools help to better understand customer needs and take targeted marketing measures.
 
2. Analytics and reporting tools
    
   • Google Analytics, Tableau, Power BI: analytics and reporting tools analyze customer behavior and support data-based decisions. These tools provide valuable insights into the use of products and services.
    
   • Customer feedback tools: Tools such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform or Qualtrics collect and evaluate direct customer feedback.
 
3. Automation and personalization
    
   • marketing automation: marketing such as Marketo or Mailchimp create personalized emails and campaigns based on customer behavior and preferences.
    
   • Chatbots and virtual assistants: Chatbots and virtual assistants offer round-the-clock support and answer frequent customer queries quickly.
 
4. Project management and collaboration
    
   • Agile methods: Agile methods such as Scrum or Kanban make it possible to react flexibly to customer requirements. Tools such as Jira, Trello or Asana support agile project management and team collaboration.
    
   • User story mapping: User story maps help to better understand customer requirements and expectations and to align development accordingly.
 
5. Customer Experience (CX) Management Tools
    
   • Qualtrics, Medallia: CX management tools monitor and optimize the customer experience across various touchpoints. These tools help to identify weak points and make targeted improvements.

Creating stakeholder value with skill IT

There are numerous humorous cartoons on the Internet about the misunderstandings between order, design and development. With our course "Drive Stakeholder Value"your next project will be a success and not a meme. You will learn how to use a customer journey to target markets and stakeholders and develop user-centered services.