Simplify IT, strengthen networks to foster a competitive advantage

Co-contributed by: Jen Mossop Scott, EY Partner, Technology Transformation Consulting and Hasan Ali, Director, Technology Consulting

Inflationary markets, uncertain realities and evolving technologies mean customers now expect more from the digital experiences technology companies provide. To respond strategically, tech companies should consider streamlining operations and stabilizing network infrastructure now. Prioritizing these areas can empower tech companies to cultivate better customer experiences even as consumer needs continue to change quickly. 

How can simplified IT and robust networks support customer experiences?

Business models have changed, and companies across industries now rely heavily on resilient technology to provide value at every stage of the end user’s journey.

What does that mean for technology companies? Maintaining robust and resilient IT and network capabilities behind the scenes allows you to deliver business value to your customers. How so? Aligning network structure and IT capabilities to directly support customer expectations can dial down friction across customer experiences and dial up satisfaction. This better enables you to deliver seamless service, handle technical disruptions, overcome sudden surges of online traffic, protect consumer data and avoid outages or service delays. Improving behind-the-scenes structures and systems also allows your people to provide insight, offer solutions and bridge gaps on the frontlines of the customer experience — all while continuously innovating offerings.

Taken together, this fuels the kind of personalized, differentiated, simple and valuable service portfolios that foster customer loyalty and consumer trust. That counts for a lot in a market like ours, which is reshaped by complex dynamics from one day to the next. 

How can tech companies refresh IT and networks to win the market? 

Tech companies have a unique opportunity to embrace this moment, transform IT and network with resilience in mind. Doing so now can help create new and lasting customer value. The real question is: what’s the right way to dive in?

Start by putting humans at the centre. That means building capabilities, structures and teams with both your customers and employees in mind. Using this kind of human-centred thinking as the foundation, you can then deploy technology at speed and innovate at scale. From there, you’re ready to get tactical about reframing IT and network structure to wield a competitive edge.

As you do, keep these four critical steps in mind:

1. Evaluate your IT and network structure for resilience. In an era when consumers have high expectations and low tolerance for unplanned service interruptions, it’s paramount for any tech company to identify and manage risks for their enterprise network and supply chain. Technology network providers need robust plans for their operations and enough flexibility to manage risks in uncertain situations. Network stability and resilience is a competitive advantage. Assess your existing IT operations and network structure to identify gaps and other barriers that may be holding your business back. Explore any potential skill or talent gaps as part of that comprehensive view.
2. Streamline processes for increased efficiency and agility. Volatility and risk can reshape the list of opportunities for tech companies. That includes the chance to develop new markets. Doing so effectively, though, requires organizations to carefully review and de-risk their supply chains. It also means deploying resources and capabilities against shifting priorities. Simplifying IT and network structures, streamlining related business processes and applying emerging technologies — such as cloud capabilities, data analytics and automation tools — can enable your employees with the resources they need to match the agility of their operations with future levels of volatility in the business.
3. Evolve ways of working to attract and retain motivated people. The pandemic has made talent acquisition an ever-more pressing issue in the tech sector. Recent EY surveys show that 9 out of 10 employees demand flexibility in where and when they work — and they’re prepared to quit if their requests are not fulfilled. Although employees have mastered working from home, the hybrid model poses new challenges tied to employee experience and culture. Solving the puzzle by optimizing rewards, flexibility and experience in an integrated way can help you recruit and retain the IT specialists necessary to address demanding consumer market needs around IT operations and network structures more effectively.  
   
4. Build the brand around customer trust. In a world of customer empowerment, it’s imperative for technology service providers to meticulously review and streamline all customer touchpoints. EY research has shown that the main drivers of trust — or distrust — include security, transparency, ethics, content and regulatory compliance. By taking a security by design approach, you can encourage customers to engage with products and services and share meaningful personal data. That means embedding security and data privacy in IT operations and network design. And, by infusing your practices with greater empathy, you can generate additional trust through positive customer experiences. Both strategies cultivate coherent and frictionless interactions that empower you to outperform your competitors.