Bypass automation — personalized digital transformation is what’s moving the needle

By Amsal Kapetanović, Infobip Regional Manager

The pandemic spurred digital adoption faster than we’ve seen in years. And while many were quick to jump on the bandwagon, not all were able to see the immediate and long-term added value of digital adoption.  Companies automated systems to boost efficiency and monitor mechanisms, but automation just wasn’t delivering for those reliant on customer-enterprise interactions to drive value — at least not from where we stood at Infobip.

Every day we’re tasked with designing and scaling customer communication journeys, and we do that by helping clients forge personalized, meaningful partnerships with customers. What we’ve learned along the way is that automation alone doesn’t redefine businesses or upgrade customer experiences — it simply doesn’t have the transformative capabilities to do so.

Holistic, yet personalized digital solutions are key

Enter digital transformation, which allows you to integrate technology that can accommodate changing business and market needs. In my opinion, it’s as much a mindset as a practice — a purveyor of cultural change. It’s about the convergence of internal operational changes and external communications with clients. We’re talking a holistic change that fundamentally alters the DNA of an organization.

The real value in digital transformation lies in data. Data has been the single most powerful tool we’ve harnessed to help clients develop personalized solutions with impact. If you take an honest inventory of your target audiences, their needs, and their preferred channels of engagement, those data points will start to show patterns. And it’s those patterns that help you effectively personalize products, channels, and customer journeys.

With a clear picture of your audience — and there are technologies out there that can help you better profile your customers — how they’ve engaged with you in the past, and what they’re interested in now, it’s easy to segment, create, and disseminate messages to them. And you can reimagine those journeys through digitalization.

Localized solutions, transformative growth

In Egypt, we’ve seen amazing success stories with financial institutions, but most recently in the ever-growing fintech space. Working closely with companies at the forefront of fintech disruption has allowed us to develop personalized solutions that overcome the limitations of traditional customer experience models. Users demand convenience; and convenience means digital. Some 20% of users opt to be served digitally in the first months of service — and this number is only growing. Users are getting more accustomed to digital journeys that help them get information faster, and more reliably, than ever before. That means anytime, anywhere, with no lost opportunities.

Egyptian banks are embracing this newfound reality with open arms. Most customers of major Egyptian banks can now be served digitally; and we’re proud to be able to help them deliver compliant and secure ways to completely transform their CX and overall customer communication and support.

Transportation is yet another successful sector for digital adoption. In fact, the way Egyptian mobility companies are harnessing digital solutions when it comes to ride-sharing and delivery is paving the way for the rest of the region. We’ve helped clients in this field with services that cover diverse functions such as parcel tracking, checking ride locations, and comparing prices – and the list goes on as these sectors pivot continually to meet customer demands.

Egypt’s healthcare sector has also been keen to adopt digital transformation. Patients can now consult, make an appointment, locate available healthcare providers and doctors, and more without even having to leave their favorite messaging app. It’s truly been an incredible journey for us to be a part of in this vital sector.

Benefits are staggering

The business benefits digital adoption is producing for our clients is abundantly clear. On the one hand, our solutions reduce operational costs — something that’s evident the moment traditional systems and services are replaced or complemented. On the other hand, satisfaction ratings go up for end users, creating a virtuous cycle of retention and conversion. In fact, conversion and retention are positively correlated to digital channel adoption, especially when paired with transformative AI solutions, automation, and adding live-agent support to the mix.

We’re excited to watch how businesses will continue to harness the power of personalization and utilize technology to create customer engagement campaigns that finally get the reach, relevance, and response they desire. It’s these personalized, holistic customer journeys that drive value for clients and, in turn, transform businesses from service providers to partners.