Skip to Content

Meeting rising CX expectations in 2021 and beyond

Capgemini
2021-09-13

In 2021, businesses face a modern set of challenges in delivering the level of CX customers want and expect. Capgemini, Salesforce, and MuleSoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct new research on the state of CX in 2021 and beyond through a global online survey of 426 directors and above involved in technology purchasing decisions and project management.

Here are a few of the main takeaways of that research.

  1. Customer data management is a top priority: Half of all respondents in the Forrester report shared that their top CX priority in the coming twelve months is improving how they manage customer data. Today, gaining customer data isn’t necessarily the hard part. With so many CX tools out there, it’s putting the information you gather to proper use that’s a bigger challenge. Businesses need a system that enables them to organize the data they have, access it when needed, and uncover the most important trends and insights. That’s where many still have work to do.
  2. CX technology integration is a common challenge: A big part of what makes customer data management complicated right now is the number of disparate, disconnected CX products companies are using. Sixty-two percent of companies in the Forrester survey said they’re operating in hybrid environments, but 52% admitted to only being minimally, somewhat, or not at all integrated. Forty percent of respondents reported only implementing their CRM or CX technology for one department or use case, and most companies shared that their CRM or CX tech can’t be easily integrated with other customer systems. When individual departments make decisions about the technology they use in isolation and each product collects customer data separately, that information is stuck in silos that make it less useful to the company.
  3. Gaining a 360-degree view of the customer provides important benefits: In contrast, companies that manage to unify all the data they have into one single customer view can gain significant benefits. The number one challenge respondents cited about their CX technology is the difficulty in creating a single, integrated, 360-degree view of the customer. A holistic system of customer data that creates a single view enables support teams to access relevant customer information easily and quickly, helps companies deploy personalized experiences for customers, and makes it possible to tap into customer insights that influence data-driven decision making.
  4. Purchasing CX technology doesn’t mean it will get used: Businesses recognize the important role technology has to play in modern CX, which is why 68% have already begun implementing or expanding their CX technology. Yet making an investment in CX technology isn’t worth much unless employees actually use it. Thirty-four percent of companies report low adoption rates across teams. A business can’t achieve any of the goals a technology product is meant to solve if the product goes unused.
  5. A solid CX strategy and the right partners makes all the difference. The best solution to the CX challenges companies currently face is a cohesive strategy. Working with the IT department and the right services partner, a business can shift toward a more holistic approach to customer technology and data. Planning CX technology purchases with integration and implementation in mind can help ensure products are actually put to use, and that they work effectively together.

Of the businesses included in the Forrester survey, around half that worked with a consulting or implementation partner found they were able to develop a strategic roadmap to building the customer experience, deploy their technology in a cost-effective way, and see a return on investment.

To go deeper into the insights found in the research, download the full study: Deliver Engaging Customer Experiences With A Cohesive CX Strategy. If you’re ready to consider a partner for your CX strategy, contact Capgemini today. 

This blog is authored by Jay Rumwell, VP and Group Partner Executive at Capgemini. Senior management executive with demonstrated strengths overseeing pivotal partnership and alliance relationships for Oracle, Microsoft, Capgemini, and other top technology developers and management consulting firms.