In just a few weeks, the pandemic has forced shifts in behaviour that may otherwise have taken years. It has forced organisations to question whether digital transformation programmes are moving with enough pace, or in many cases whether they are even fit for purpose at all.

Working practices and expectations have changed, and many consumers have been forced to adopt channels that they are now unlikely to abandon. It is clear that as organisations, we all need to think differently about the future if we are going to survive and succeed.

Alongside Craig Gibson, Chief Commercial Officer at Webhelp UK; we have drawn together our knowledge across business operating models, end-to-end customer journeys, and customer engagement to provide our views on how organisations can shape the future.

More than that, we have then tested these views with senior leaders across a variety of sectors, developing four vital characteristics that we believe will help us all to be fit for the future:

More adaptable
Possessing inherent agility that can rapidly course-correct and flex to shifts in demand across channels, geographies, and customer needs

More focused
Using limited resources wisely, setting clear priorities that deliver rapid, effective change that is focused on reducing the number of initiatives to the vital few

More digital
Delivering easy to access service which is technology enabled, rather than technology-led, across multiple channels and touchpoints

More human
Demonstrating transparency, empathy and an ability to form deep emotional connections with both customers and colleagues

For organisations there is an opportunity to build afresh, using the same core capabilities that have helped many of us during this crisis: a strong sense of connection between colleagues, a common purpose, and the coming together of human ingenuity with technological innovation.

Our latest whitepaper ‘Reimagining service for the new world’ explores these themes in more detail, and how we might harness them to build the resilient, customer-focused businesses of tomorrow.