The Pursuit of Dynamite Experiences (DX)
CX + OX = (CO) X = DX
Mathematically speaking, I know I am wrong when I write CX + OX = (CO) X. But, speaking in a world of creative conceptualization, I believe we can ‘create’ some sense of the above. CX stands for Customer Experience Management. OX stands for Operational Excellence. By the summation (CO) X, I am proposing that Customer Experience initiatives must be seamlessly configured with Operational Excellence initiatives – thereby creating a multiplier effect – to deliver DX – Dynamite Experiences.
I learnt about the term Dynamite Experiences (DX) recently from Mary Gilbert (http://www.kinanda.net) who has aptly quoted that – 21st Century CMOs will be customer-hugging data geeks with a flair for delivering dynamite experiences.
Here are some thoughts about how this multiplier force ‘DX’ can be created below.
A) Typical Pillars of CX Initiatives
Deriving from my past work experience with KPMG, I can rely on the 6 pillars of CX design that we delivered for clients (https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/01/customer-first-insights-six-pillars.html):
1) Empathy – Understand a customer’s circumstances
2) Personalization – Use individual attention for emotional connection
3) Time and Effort – Minimize customer effort and create frictionless processes
4) Expectations – Manage, meet and exceed customer expectations
5) Resolution – Turn poor experience into a great one
6) Integrity – Be trustworthy and engender trust
B) Typical Pillars of OX Initiatives
To align closely with the 6 pillars of CX Initiatives, let’s try and note down the broad 6 pillars of OX Initiatives derived from pan-industry observations:
1) People Alignment
2) Process Effectiveness
3) Product/Service Innovation
4) Quality Adherence
5) Outcomes
6) Continuous Improvement
C) Seamless (CO) X Alignment for DX
The purpose of outlining elements of DX is to develop an actionable model that helps deliver CX ‘at scale’ leveraging the efficiencies of OX. Let’s now try and visualize the framework that can possibly help us create the working principles for DX – with a seamless COX combination. Few illustrations have been noted below, which can be diluted or expanded as per business imperatives:
This table on Working Principles for DX is not supposed to be prescriptive list nor an exhaustive list. It is only supposed to serve as illustrative guidelines for Organizations that are exploring ways to blend their CX and OX agendas in a meaningful way. Next week, I will try and cover example(s) of how the pursuit of DX can be undertaken successfully.
In Conclusion
I will conclude this write-up with snippets of ServiceNow’s Bill McDermott’s powerful open letter – Behind every great experience is a great workflow (https://www.servicenow.com/company/executive-team/bill-mcdermott.html#letter_1).
We all want great experiences. It’s what every business aspires to deliver. Because great experiences drive fierce customer loyalty and create powerful employee engagement. Great experiences unleash productivity and fuel innovation. And that’s how great companies win. Getting there isn’t easy. Every C-suite leader knows this. They’re chasing digital this and digital that, but transformation feels like a slog, not a sprint. Legacy systems and siloed processes get in the way. Yesterday’s software, designed to solve yesterday’s problems, lacks the digital chops to satisfy today’s expectations, or to seize tomorrow’s opportunities. Complexity prevails. Simple is still too hard.
It’s all about workflow. Behind every great experience is a great workflow. Orchestrating complex workflows means enabling existing systems and processes across your business to work better together. It means designing workflows that work the way your business needs, enabling the experiences your employees want and your customers expect.
…And when work flows naturally, great experiences follow (I will say Dynamite Experiences can follow). That’s a great way to win…