Omni channel – You’ve missed the boat!

Digitisation is transforming our world. Retail, Telecoms and Utilities are way ahead of the game, whereas some industries have started 2016 playing catch up.  Did you miss the boat?

Let’s hope not.  There’s still time to transform your operation with an omni-channel business model and develop a strategy for turning the threat of disruption of any new challengers in your sector into an opportunity.

Customers want to connect with you in a whole different way these days.  They want to be able to choose the channel they want to use to do business with you at the time that suits their personal lifestyle. They may move from email to mobile to web chat within one transaction and expect your systems to understand they are doing so.  This means some big changes for your workforce too.

Do your people have the right mindset for change?

If you are moving to an omni channel operation, your existing strategy, structure, people and processes will need to be updated and one crucial question for you today is will your current culture hold you back? Also if you engage the hearts and minds of your people in what the future may look like, it will be a far easier job to land a successful change programme.

To help with business transformation we use a 5 step process.  It can be used for both business and digital transformation.  Here is a taster…..if you want to give your digital agenda the best chance of succeed, begin by:

Anticipate – assess the organisation to see what needs to happen for everyone to embrace digital. If you are moving from multi channel to omni channel, your strategy will change to one that views the transaction from the customer perspective. Will Cloud technology work for your business.

Help leaders at all levels understand and accept their part in leading change that get the digital technology and processes in place. Your people will become digital operators so you will need to root out the ‘technophobes’ and work with them to overcome their challenges.

HR will need to change the way it provides services.  In the digital world it can become more fluid and that means a change in the way the HR Team is organised too.  Digitally savvy employees want consumer-like HR services and tools.

Design – ensure the structure, culture, and systems all support and don’t obstruct the digital strategy.  Consider how to equip, enable, and engage people to become capable to navigate the new technology.

In the digital world data, delivered at the right time in the right channel is the gold dust that can help your business and it’s operation gain sales.  Culture is important too because customers buy from businesses they like or admire – culture can aid this.

There are three more areas to peruse in our 5 step process.

Digital transformation can be difficult for a leader who has many other responsibilities to take care of.  To help you, we have devised a 5 step business change process which will help you transform your business quicker than you think possible! We’ve found that it can be applied to most business change situations including digitisation.

It’s simple and designed to help you handle business transformation smoothly and successfully. Our video gives a few more tips and hints and there are lots more that we can share with you if you make contact with us.

Ruth Gawthorpe is the owner of The Change Directors.  Business transformation experts who roll up their sleeves and work with your team to change things for the better – through your people and your HR Teams. Call Ruth on 07976 509 551 for a chat about your plans.