On April 7, 2015, Brian Solis keynoted AudaVision in Toronto Canada, an event for North American insurers. The event was held at the Palais Royale on the shore of Lake Ontario west of downtown Toronto. Canadian Underwriter was on hand and published a summary of highlights from the event.

Here’s an excerpt featuring Brian Solis…

Businesses tend to use information technology to improve processes, efficiency, margins and scale, rather than customer experience, suggested Brian Solis, principal analyst for the Altimeter Group, based in San Francisco.

The decisions that you are making on behalf of your customer experience are actually not for your customer at all,” Solis said in a presentation at AudaVision titled The future of business. “They are for the people who are going to approve your budget, who are going to allow you pilot, who are going to allow you to do certain things to keep your job, or at least stay in good graces, but we have to accept reality.”

Solis noted there is “no common definition” of “digital transformation,” which he says “is as much about technology and you and me as well as it is about changing how we do business, how we structure business, how we engage customers before, during and after transactions and services or incidents.”

Digital transformation “is actually something bigger than just efficiency,” he said. “It’s the realignment of or new investment in technology and business models to more effectively engage digital customers at every touch point.”

Solis emphasized the importance of communicating with “digital consumers” using mobile devices and apps.

“It’s not just a millennial thing,” Solis said, referring to the generation born in 1980 and after. “It’s anyone who lives a digital lifestyle.”

Service in an omnichannel environment also needs to be relevant, Solis contended.

“Omnichannel means being present,” Solis said. “Rarely do we hear, when we talk about omnichannel, is the word relevance. It’s not just being present, it’s also being relevant – contextually relevant and culturally relevant.”