Customer experience tops C-suite agenda in New Zealand

Two years ago, the focus was very much on operational efficiency and productivity. The investment in these areas over the past few years has created the platform for enabling customer focused investments. Louise Francis, IDC NZ

New Zealand organisations have emphatically endorsed the customer experience (CX) as the underlying foundation of their business strategy in the year ahead.

Across the entire C-Suite (CIO, CEO, CFO, CMO) the mantra is “the customer is now at the centre of business”, according to IDC’s latest C-Suite Barometer.

“The difference from other years is that companies have defined how they are planning to do this, with targeted technology investments and initiatives,” says Louise Francis, senior research manager, IDC New Zealand.

Two years ago, the focus was very much on operational efficiency and productivity, she says. The investment in these areas over the past few years has created the platform for enabling customer focused investments.

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IDC says C-Suite executives interviewed in this study include the CIO, CEO, CFO, CMO, CHRO and COO.

The report notes the CMO’s relationship with the CIO is “rapidly maturing”.

When CMO respondents were asked which role or partners typically make the most significant contributions when considering high-impact marketing initiatives/programs, an overwhelming majority (73 per cent) cited the CIO.

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Over half (54 per cent) of the CMOs said they go to the CIO’s office when seeking to leverage IT to drive your marketing strategy, programs and campaigns.

As well, 62 per cent of the CMOs said they are “collaborating more intensely” with the CIO to harness business analytics.

Lack of a strategy around cybersecurity remains a problem, the report states.

Louise Francis of IDC New Zealand

Three quarters of CIOs said security deployments will have the biggest impact for the business across all their technology deployments.

Three quarters of CIOs said security deployments will have the biggest impact for the business across all their technology deployments.

Despite 58 per cent stating that cybersecurity was a key initiative, the gap between cybersecurity initiatives and strategy persists – with 33 per cent stating that there is no broad base strategy or governance framework.

This is one of the downsides of digital transformation, “security threats from entities seeking to exploit the complex systems and processes that are transforming business value,” the report states.

The focus, then, for organisations is now looking at ways to design a digital strategy that enables secure DX (sDX).

Send news tips and comments to divina_paredes@idg.co.nz

Follow Divina Paredes on Twitter: @divinap

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