How CIOs shape Customer Experience?


A chief information officer (CIO) is the firm leader in charge of information and computer technology management, deployment, and usability. The CIO investigates how various technologies benefit the organization or improve an existing business process, and then integrates a system to deliver that benefit or improvement.

In today's customer experience initiatives, digital technologies have become increasingly important. CIOs—the technology professionals driving digital transformation—must become important actors in enabling enterprises to win hearts and minds in this era of customer-centricity to fulfill new increasing demands.

Jerry Gregoire, the former CIO of Dell Computer, predicted the development of the CIO in 1999, as evidenced by his famous comment, “The customer experience is the next competitive battleground.”

CIOs have been setting the groundwork for digital transformation for years, and now it's time to focus on digital-first strategies in order to deliver a superior customer experience. They may even be reshaping themselves into the job of Chief Customer Officer.

Role of CIOs

Over the years, the CIO's position has evolved. The job was more technical in the 1980s when corporations needed to manage their internal computers, databases, and communications networks. CIOs establish strategies and computer systems to keep organizations competitive in a fast-changing global economy in the 2010s, thanks to wireless communications, cloud computing, big-data analytics, and mobile devices. One of the most important responsibilities of a modern CIO is to forecast future computer technology advances that will provide a company with an edge over competitors.

With the rising usage of IT and computer technology in enterprises, CIOs have risen dramatically. The CIO is in charge of things like building a website to assist the company reach out to more customers and integrating new inventory tools to help better manage inventory use.

The CIO's primary tasks include collaborating with other members of the C-suite and the technology department to develop the best IT strategy for the company. The following are some of the common jobs of a CIO, according to Indeed's Learning About Being a CIO career guide −

  • Examine the correctness and efficiency of the technology utilized in the company's design, development, and administration.

  • Assess resource consumption and allocation in collaboration with the CEO and project managers.

  • Overlook the company's communications network's progress and development.

  • Create a wide-area networking infrastructure capable of supporting remote access.

  • Compile a cost-benefit analysis for each IT workflow modification.

Responsibilities of a CIO

A CIO is in charge of a company's information technology needs. However, this does not imply that they are the IT director. Many CIOs are stepping back from operational commitments and responsibilities. Because the function adapts and changes in response to the changing face of modern and technical business, the responsibilities and skillsets are very different from what they were a decade or two ago.

The following are some of the CIO's roles and duties −

  • Using technology to add value to a business.

  • Managing the growth of customer service platforms.

  • Vendor negotiations and IT architecture approval.

  • Creating IT policies, plans, and guidelines.

  • Developing and approving technology budgets and futures.

CIOs must analyze trends and implement digital-first tactics to stay ahead of the competition and future-proof the firm in today's dynamic and demanding business climate.

The crucial steps in a seamless transition to becoming the Chief Customer Officer are removing the administrative load placed on teams, adopting technology that enable HD-CX, and eliminating data silos.

How do CIOs Shape Customer Experience?

A customer-centric CIO will focus on three key areas : ensuring fit-for-purpose systems, embracing new technology, and creating a unified customer journey to achieve these additional obligations.

Ascertain those systems are suitable for their intended use − Outperforming competitors require data-driven, high-definition customer experiences (HD-CX). As a result, the CIO's job is to ensure that your organization stays ahead of the curve by moving away from old systems. CIOs must free up employees' time by allowing CRM platforms to do the heavy lifting, ensuring that their systems capture data automatically and present it in context to everyone who needs it to serve customers better.

Accept New Technology − Artificial intelligence (AI), voice recognition, and personalization have become critical components of HD-CX, allowing for a 360-degree picture of the consumer. To thrive in their new customer-focused job, the CIO must be a champion for these products. These unrivaled forecasts enable firms to make confident decisions and focus on the most important marketing, sales, and customer service initiatives.

Create a Unified Customer Journey − To create a smooth user experience, CIOs must organize people, processes, and data around serving customers, breaking down departmental silos. Setting a solid foundation like this and employing in-depth, cross-siloed customer data will allow the CIO to succeed in this new area of duty by providing a cohesive and clear image of the consumer without increasing costs.

Updated on: 12-Aug-2022

77 Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements