Omnichannel approaches, collaborative work and personalisation: the keys to successful digital transformation
More than 150 people gathered at the Roca Gallery on Tuesday for the 2nd #digitalTHINK Conference, organised by ESADE and RocaSalvatella. With the aim of reflecting on fundamental aspects of the digitisation process, the event brought together executives responsible for digital transformation at Banc Sabadell, TMB, Vueling, Bern2Run (Munich), Airbnb, HP, LinkedIn and Hispasat.
The digital world is reshaping society – and, therefore, the business sector – in profound ways. As Oriol Iglesias, Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing Management and Director of the ESADE Brand Institute, put it, "Analogue and digital spaces are diluting one another." According to Genís Roca, Partner and President of RocaSalvatella, the current context is forcing companies to rethink all sorts of processes in order to successfully undertake their digital transformation. Whether new to digitisation or already well along on this journey, Mr. Roca explained, organisations need to take into account six fundamental aspects discussed by speakers at #digitalTHINK.
Aspect #1: VISION
Pol Navarro, Director of Digital Transformation at Banc Sabadell, observed that "a digital mindset needs to be ingrained in the company’s DNA" because "it’s important to understand that our business is going to change radically". Vision, like digital culture, is a cross-cutting aspect that affects each phase of digital business transformation and guides the company throughout its journey toward digitisation. Mr. Navarro then discussed BStartup, a new initiative launched by Banc Sabadell to help entrepreneurs. By keeping Banc Sabadell in contact with entrepreneurs, BStartup imbues the bank with an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
Aspect #2: PROCESSES
Carlos Alonso, Director of Strategy, Projects and Technology at Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), discussed the digitisation operations and internal business processes that take place within companies. Mr. Alonso discussed TMB’s past as a "two-headed" company that managed Barcelona’s bus and metro networks separately. He explained how the two sides of the company were integrated in a single digital environment in terms of management and external communication.
Aspect #3: POINTS OF CONTACT
In a panel discussion, Maria Sempere, Director of Customer Relations at Vueling, and Xavier Berneda, CEO of Bern2Run (Munich), discussed the ways in which digital reality has transformed customer relations models. The panel was moderated by Jaime Castelló, Lecturer in the Department of Marketing Management at ESADE.
Mr. Berneda stressed the importance of digital channels, which account for 20% of Bern2Run’s sales and have enabled the company to successfully offer personalised sport shoes. Ms. Sempere then explained how Vueling’s digital presence has allowed the airline to further personalise its contact with customers and to offer services usually associated with major carriers at much more affordable prices.
Aspect #4: REDESIGNING PROCESS
David Hernández, Director of Product Strategy at Aqualogy, a division of Agbar, Barcelona’s water company, explained how innovation provides structure for the design of new services. Mr. Hernández explained how small projects like Oasys, a game-based multimedia device that monitors the water consumption of each member of a household, have helped Agbar to "make headway in innovation".
Aspect #5: BUSINESS MODELS
Joan Pérez Pericot, Director of Marketing at HP; Jeroen Merchiers, General Manager for Southern, Eastern and Northern Europe and Russia at Airbnb; and Francesc Arbiol, Territory Manager at LinkedIn Spain, participated in a panel discussion moderated by Jaime Castelló. The panellists shared experiences related to how the Internet and new technologies are transforming the way business is done.
"Users are acquiring more and more power. They have become both consumers and producers," explained Mr. Arbiol as he listed the characteristics of business models at companies like LinkedIn. "Information and user input are our lifeblood, so we have to offer valuable services," said Mr. Merchiers, adding that Airbnb is working toward offering check-in and cleaning services via the platform. Finally, Mr. Pericot commented on another major pillar of digital transformation: information management. This field, he explained, can give rise to many new opportunities and business models in a wide range of sectors.
Aspect #6: DIGITAL CULTURE
In an interview conducted by Josep Salvatella, Partner and CEO of RocaSalvatella, Hispasat President Elena Pisonero explained the importance of promoting digital skills and competencies in all departments of an organisation. According to Ms. Pisonero, resistance to change and lack of leadership are the main challenges that large organisations must overcome in order to digitally transform their business.
Ms. Pisonero observed that the digital world "generates collective knowledge and new learning dynamics" by facilitating interaction between people inside and outside the organisation. She also highlighted the importance of "leaving the comfort zone", creating diverse teams, respecting employees who contribute talent, and giving them the opportunity to grow professionally within the organisation.
