A digital deep dive delivers for customers

Today, digital transformation – the strategic integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, is fundamentally changing how organisations operate. Indeed, with internet – and even mobile-first now the standard consumer expectation – getting digital strategy right is more important than ever.

Digital marketing and transformation agency Core Optimisation works with businesses in Ireland, as well as in Britain, to help them achieve digital transformation. Notably, the agency has zeroed-in on industries including tourism, giving it a bird’s eye view of a vital, and highly competitive, sector of the economy.

Having partnered with Fáilte Ireland, Core Optimisation delivered a ground-breaking initiative designed to power a digital transformation for the visitor experience sector, said the agency’s co-founder and chief executive Caroline Dunlea.

“The Digital that Delivers programme ensures Irish tourism businesses maximise sales from online channels and increase reach and bookings through connected distribution. Expert assistance powers online excellence by increasing digital capability, streamlining processes, delivering efficiencies and capturing attention in a competitive global marketplace,” she said.

Clearly the tourism sector has a lot to gain from digital transformation: for a start, some businesses need better websites and online booking and distribution systems to attract visitors, increase revenue, operate more efficiently, and even to make data-driven decisions on future spend.

Fáilte Ireland’s vision was to develop a world-class digital tourism ecosystem for Ireland, enabling consumers to discover and book Irish experiences through the channels that are most convenient to them and offer the best value, while helping the Irish tourism industry to operate more efficiently.

However, digital transformation if it is to mean anything, has to go beyond the surface. New websites or apps are fine – and, frankly, are often desperately needed – but they should be deployed as part of a wider strategy.

“Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business resulting in fundamental changes to how businesses operate and how they deliver value to customers,” Dunlea said.

“Understanding the starting point and how you measure impact is a critical part of the digital transformation strategy.”

Core Optimisation has developed a digital maturity model that assesses a business’s digital maturity across five key tenets of the business: leadership, customer experience, operational capacity, technology and people. Key aspects of this, Dunlea said, include stakeholder buy-in and advocacy as well as deployment of a best-in-class web site and engaging and relevant content and technology that supports the customer.

However, the schema also seeks to ensure that the systems that power change are in place and the processes are created for delivering efficiencies and the right technologies in place to not only deliver, but to provide the data for measuring delivery.

“This is the starting point from which you map the journey for digital maturity. We do this at the start of any programme, then proceed to develop a digital maturity roadmap relevant to the business and we assess in the middle and at the end of the programme in terms of impact,” Dunlea said.

A changed world

One reason why such a deep, strategic approach is necessary is that customer expectations have risen dramatically. Driven by experience with the likes of Google, Amazon and Apple, consumers today, and even business customers, expect a coherent end-to-end experience that is smooth and entirely free from confusion or shocks.

“Consumer expectations and behaviours have changed significantly in recent years due to how quick digital technology has evolved,” Dunlea said.

“Consumers expect a much more personalised experience, regardless of whether they are offline or online. There is an immediacy for relevant information and a desire for convenience. Being present and engaging with customers across multiple channels is vital, so an omnipresent strategy is now the standard for businesses,” she said.

Notably, consumers tend to gravitate towards brands that make this appear seamless, but that is not the only shift: also worth remembering is that the digital world never sleeps, Dunlea said.

“Availability is key along with a global customer base. For e-commerce, customers expect options around fast, or next day delivery, a simple returns process, multiple payment methods, and all of this delivered with high quality content and imagery,” she said.

E-commerce has led the way in digital transformation. Indeed, retailers have always been adapting and looking for efficiencies through technology, Dunlea said.

“Look at what Amazon have done: like it or loathe it they have pioneered the digital transformation of retail by creating an online marketplace, introducing efficiencies like robotics to streamline operations and using smart solutions like AI[artificial intelligence] and machine learning to stay ahead.”

As we all know, Amazon started as a simple online business that sold books. Looking at it today makes clear just where digital transformation can lead.

“Their digital transformation has seen them do everything from developing virtual assistants, streaming and even making movies and music, along with creating an online marketplace,” she said.

Ireland may not have a native Amazon, but Dunlea said there is a lot of innovation going on in the country – and clear support for it.

“Domestically, digital transformation has been supported hugely by Enterprise Ireland across multiple sectors and across multiple facets of digital transformation, which is key.

“Also, within Ireland there is no doubt Fáilte Ireland is leading the tourism industry with a best-in-class digital transformation journey,” she said.

This is important not only for individual businesses, in tourism or in other sectors, but for the economy and even the nation as a whole, she said.

“I am a firm believer that digital transformation is no longer a nice to have but an economic imperative and that support both financially and in terms of developing capabilities and competencies is critical for our continued economic success.”

Ultimately, Dunlea said, businesses will benefit from a recognition that there is more to digital transformation than just technology.

“While we know technology provides significant efficiencies and facilitates that transformational journey, it is still the people that will empower the change. Without people it is simply a tool. The way forward is a much more connected and dynamic future where technology and people work side by side complimenting each other,” she said.