Why customer centricity is a key focus area for every CIO/CDO

Understanding market movements and adjusting business priorities to changing customer needs is difficult. And in recent years the challenge is even bigger, since pace of change has increased. Mastering this environment requires that every part of a company’s organization has an outside-in mindset, i.e., operating from a market and customer perspective across almost every activity, combined with a strong ability to change. And at the same time manage core business.

Within IT/Digital organizations (IT) this is more important than ever right now.

Balancing IT performance and Digital Transformation.

In many businesses IT is still operating as a pure support function although the need to drive digital transformation is equally important for a positive business future. Now IT shall “keep the lights on” and make organizations efficient and contribute to digital transformation of the business. And results shall come with the speed of light.

Balancing IT-performance with Digital transformation is a critical capability for any Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) / Chief Digital Officer (CDO)*, and those that succeed will not only have a fantastic career, but they are also moving the companies to new heights with increased profitability.

Customer & User Centricity is the key.

The capability to balance IT-performance and Digital Transformation requires a shift for many organization – outside in thinking: i.e., thinking that starts from the Customer (end customer of the business) and the User (internal customer of IT), not the technology.

Outside in thinking, Customer& User Centricity requires a relentless focus that always start with the Customer / User perspective – regardless of if it is within the IT-Performance or Digital Transformation agenda, all activities (in planning and execution) have the customer/user journeys as foundation. Then technology solutions, capabilities and data are tied to the journeys.

Customer & User Centricity is a never-ending iterative approach to deliver value to Customers and Users across the life cycle of products, services, or applications. The technology side needs to be thinking around baseline, run costs, growth, and transformation goals, all at the same time. When teams within an organization are aligned around the Customer / User, they are ready to innovate and execute on Perform and Transform agenda simultaneously.

That’s why customer centricity is a key focus area for every CIO/CDO.

* In some organizations CIOs and CDOs co-exist and in some they are merged into one role.