“I think we are at a point where companies recognize that you can only get so far if you continue to work in old ways and use new technology in old ways,” Solis said. “This is why you see marketing departments becoming bigger than what they were yesterday. They’re becoming more of an integrated unit across the enterprise. And now we’ll start to see groups that disparately operated in the customer journey are now collaborating in the customer journey because they have to deliver this heightened experience.”

The top three transformative initiatives — accelerating innovation, modernizing IT infrastructure and improving operational agility — typically fall under the responsibility of IT, but a disconnect exists between the trends driving change and the individuals who lead the efforts, according to Brian Solis, principal analyst at the research and advisory firm.

Analist Brian Solis van Altimeter Group sprak over generatie C, de generatie die altijd connected is en een ultieme klantervaring verwacht, simpelweg omdat ze weten dat het kan. Bijna negentig procent van deze generatie, kortom iedereen met een smartphone, is volgens hem bereid om extra te betalen voor een betere klantervaring. “Wie iets wil aanschaffen, raadpleegt eerst zijn telefoon. De gemiddelde consument kijkt 1500 keer per week op zijn mobiel en besteedt hier wekelijks ruim twintig uur aan. En of je dit nu een goede ontwikkeling vindt of niet, je mist de boot als je hier niets mee doet.”

So far, digital transformation is largely led by the chief marketing officer. That’s borne out in a new study of 528 digital executives and “transformation strategists” by Altimeter, a Prophet Company, which finds more than one-third of executives (34%) say their CMOs are leading the digital charge. For 27%, the digital impetus comes right from the top — saying the CEO is in charge of digital.

Each platform uses different engagement metrics to drive their agenda. Which is why “engagement numbers are controversial at best,” Solis said.

In their book, The Evolution of Social Business: Six Stages of Social Business Transformation, Charlene Li and Brian Solis surveyed 700 social media professionals and executives. They discovered that 34% of businesses surveyed felt that their social strategy was connected to business outcomes.

“Digital transformation is as much a technology story as it is one about how people lead change inside and outside the company. The human factor is pervasive in each of our reports on the subject. It’s really the driving force behind evolution and revolution in business,” said Solis.

De toekomst van zaken doen draait om het ontwerpen van betekenisvolle ervaringen. Met die heldere boodschap van Brian Solis gaat iedereen naar huis na een lange eDay. Rond 12.00 uur mag de ‘principal analyst’ van de Altimeter Group, auteur en keynote speaker de volle zaal alles vertellen over Ervaringen. Niet voor niets, want zijn nieuwe boek ‘X: The Experience Where Business Meets Design’ gaat over het ontwerpen van de perfecte totaalervaring.