Digital transformation: How technology can help change the face of ‘after-sales’ service centres

The past year has accelerated the need for integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, allowing for fundamental changes in how a company operates and the value delivered to the customer.

Good service has always had a positive effect on the earnings of a company and often makes a big contribution to total sales, profit margins and the overall balance sheet. But over the last year we have witnessed and experienced first-hand how the after-sales service can develop into an important strategic factor for success.

There are two key trends that are driving the customer experience in the market – products are getting smarter which means that customers are getting more specific in their quest for solutions and secondly, the customers are getting savvy in their expectations from services, given the change in lifestyles.

In the event of a malfunction in such smart products, customers expect immediate resolution of problems, since these products are serving vital roles in their daily lives. The unfortunate reality is that most after-sales service centres are unable to manage the enhanced level of expectations of the customers.

The only way to address this challenge is to adopt digital technology to propel the process of data management and leverage data to improve the customer experience, open new markets, make employees and processes more productive and, thus, to create new sources of competitive advantage.

After sales service divisions, which are normally seen as cost centres for an organisation, can transform themselves to become experience drivers that add back to the bottom line.

Moving service operations to technologically sound platforms with features like real-time tracking of the service progress as well as instant updates helps to improve customer connect and become a key driver of success. With digitisation, there is also a significant opportunity for the business teams to leverage real-time information for improved decision making.

Forecasts show that after-sales service will remain one of the critical success factors for any business that sells technology products. Companies must respond strongly to the ever-changing customer requirements in order to achieve sustainable performance. Artificial intelligence will likely drive even more automation into businesses and products. The companies that deliver new levels of efficiency with services that are tailored to business outcomes and individual customer demands will emerge as the real winners.

Atul Joshi is the head of Jumbo Distribution and Serve divisions at Jumbo Group