One step ahead in digital transformation

Lukas Hebeisen, Head of Implementation & Digital Transformation at Swiss Post Solutions, outlines the benefits and advantages of digital transformation in document and information management for corporations.

At a time when digitization and social media play an ever greater role in our daily lives, clients demand access to information and advice at the touch of a button. Digital experiences and consumer services have become part of everyday life – and not only for digital natives. Consumers of all ages now shop online and use their mobile devices to take advantage of offers and services on a daily basis. They order goods in real time, keep track of their orders and expect to be notified instantly if there are any queries or problems. Many businesses are however ill equipped to meet these expectations.

Numerous client transactions and the associated processes, such as simple changes of address or mortgage applications, cannot yet be handled in a cross-channel manner and are therefore rarely dealt with within a single working day. Companies thus struggle to provide adequate customer services in a multi-channel environment that includes e-mail, chat, SMS, fax and letter post. In many cases, backoffice and support staff are most affected by these shortcomings, as their processes are not seen as part of the core activities of the company, although they are vital for its survival. While the manufacturing industry has embraced automation, many service providers are lagging behind and are not yet making full use of the many benefits that digital transformation can bring to their business models as well as their transaction and information processing tasks. In the meantime, technology is progressing towards intelligent automation.