Traditionally, IT departments have been the quiet back-end team that takes care of software processes. The IT engineers conduct quality-checks, maintain the IT systems, fix bugs and act as a support team for a smooth functioning of all business activities.

However, with the continuous advances in Technology, we cannot ignore the value that this team brings in. We can see a quick and active transformation taking place in the way organizations function. The IT department now forms an integral part of important marketing and sales discussions. Inputs from the engineers and developers are required to tweak services and products to improve customer experience. It is time for the IT guys to move into the limelight and this will require adjusting to this culture shift.

We have seen new inventions in Digital spaces with modern innovations and cool interfaces. However, many of them have disappeared from the market due to ignoring customer experience and ease of usability. It is time to focus on the customer experience first and then create technology to support it, rather than the other way around.

The New Role of IT in Digital Customer Experience

Business owners and senior management are beginning to understand this change. Hence with the highly competitive digital economy, management is now working closely with technology teams to solve individual customer problems. And they are putting in research and processes for the same. IT systems are being created to improve customer experience rather than that to just meet the needs of internal teams. To stand apart from the competition, customers need to have a compelling experience with the product.

Although customer experience has been the primary responsibility of the marketing team. Now, the IT team will also have an equally influential role to play. The digital customer experience is affected both by the media channels, offers and promotions as well as by the back-end system and user interface. The technical team’s role is going to grow much larger to capture as they can track customer browsing history, website journey, predict new interests and future requirements. These activities will require internal and external data sources and more intricate technical development.

A Makeover for the Office Tech Teams

There is a new-found expectation from the technical teams. The company looks towards them for suggestions and inputs to make changes that could improve the sales, customer experience and lead to much higher business returns. It is time for them to upgrade their skills, abilities and outlook towards their work contribution.

One new area for them to focus would be customer browsing patterns, research of competition in the market and understanding customer grievances. An in-depth study of these new areas will help in creating technology that increases customer engagement and also improves the design and back-end processes.

The easiest way for IT departments to increase understanding of customer interactions is by using their expertise to create technologies that collate and analyze customer data. The information collected will provide a rich source of insights into customer behavior.