How connected is your organization?

Customers are better informed, increasingly connected and more demanding than ever before. In order to continue to serve this connected customer properly, organizations must have the right capabilities and infrastructure in place, which also have to be interconnected. On behalf of KPMG Forrester has performed an investigation and has identified eight core capabilities that are prerequisite to a successful digital transformation and future-proof customer services. How connected is your organization? How does your organization compare to its peers? And what does it need to speed up?

Customer focus and digital transformation are not new. Every organization is somewhere on its journey of transformation to adhere to the constantly changing needs of customers. But the journey is not an easy one. We often see enormous efforts being made by organizations to transform their company without a clear focus or vision on customer services. Investments or initiatives are difficult to assess in terms of goal, impact or feasibility.

Connected Enterprise is KPMG’s approach to digital transformation to realize future-proof customer services at a level that customers expect. A key starting point of Connected Enterprise is the connection that you as a company need to realize. There are several aspects to this connection: with your staff, customers, market, network and partners from the chain, and with the internal front office, mid office and back office. Many organisations find it difficult to create and strengthen these connections, especially internally.

At the same time, however, a holistic approach to the organization and internal connections is of the essence. Top level customer services cannot be realized if marketing, sales and customer services all keep pursuing their own goals, and if customer journeys are not coordinated and aligned properly. These organizational silos must be broken down and not only in the front office, but in the mid office and the back office as well in order to allow seamless alignment and full anticipation of technological developments and operational processes - all from the customer’s perspective. 

Partner
Strategy & Operations
KPMG The Netherlands
Kuperus.Karina@kpmg.nl

Partner
Customer & Brand Strategy
KPMG The Netherlands
Molenaars.Edgar@kpmg.nl

Senior Consultant
Customer & Brand Strategy
KPMG The Netherlands
Sweers.Suzanne@kpmg.nl

KPMG commissioned Forrester to perform a worldwide investigation. The conclusion was that organizations that perform well invest in eight core capabilities. Together, these capabilities cover everything that is necessary for the realization of relevant and unique customer services.

Structural investments in these capabilities form the basis for a transformation into a Connected Enterprise. An enterprise that is connected to realize consistent customer services, that are personalized, seamless, responsive and as digitally-enabled as possible.

The figure below shows the eight capabilities, including examples of customer expectations for each capability: