Digital transformation is high on the agenda for most modern businesses. In today’s guest post, LION+MASON’s UX Director Andrew Machin shares a selection of the latest digital transformation cases, and highlights the key learnings for marketers and brands.

Regardless of how established or how large a business is, digital transformation can be a tricky process to master. Ultimately, the rapid development of new technologies presents huge opportunities for organisations across sectors.

It’s this, along with increased pressure from customers and competitors embarking on their own transformations that are spurring businesses on. The question is, where do you start? What do you need to consider? The answer is different for every organisation, but there are some lessons to be learned from the best.

Amazon

A truly successful digital transformation will allow you as a business to disrupt the marketplace you’re in. Just take a look at Amazon. Their strategy presents a masterclass for digital disrupters, but any business anywhere can learn a thing or two from the brand.

It’s their use of consumer data that really sets Amazon apart. From how people read on their Kindles, to purchasing decisions, Amazon segment and analyse data to build a clear picture of their customers, and they use that to their advantage. This, along with their powerfully marketed own brand products that sell in the tens of millions, designed around that same customer data gives them such a grip on the market that’s hard to beat.

What we’ve learned: Effective use of data and a clear vision of how your products and services answer a customer need is what will give you the competitive edge, even in the most competitive markets.

Deliveroo

Deliveroo is just one of the new age fast food businesses shaking up the sector. So, what’s the difference between something like Deliveroo and your average local business delivering to your door? The answer lies in tech of course. Intuitive interfaces and apps make things even easier for customers.

But it’s the investment that Deliveroo are ploughing into their tech talent that makes them stand out to us. They’ve added 250 new tech roles in London alone this year. This manpower will enable them to run smarter, slicker services that outstrip the competition.

What we’ve learned: Tech may be driving businesses to transform digitally, but you need the right people to harness that technology and pitch it to your customers in the right way.

StubHub

There were more than a few digital challenges for ticket retailer StubHub before they changed their strategy. With cumbersome systems trying to cope with huge influxes of ticket transactions, the need to adapt and become agiler was vital to the brand’s survival. The answer – StubHub is moving to the cloud.

That’s not all though. Data showed that 50% of people were using their mobile devices to purchase tickets. In response, StubHub has developed native apps for Android and iOS that allow people to enter events using the mobile only.

What we’ve learned: StubHub’s use of tech and a focus on the customer enabled them to create innovative products that customers love and use and cement them as a leader in their field.

DHL

It can be easy to focus on B2C businesses when it comes to digital transformation success stories, but there are more than a few B2B companies out there worth watching. One is DHL. This is a business that’s absolutely clued up on how to use tech to its advantage by getting the whole business on board.

By implementing a patents programme, they actively encourage anyone in the business to come forward with ideas. In MD Paul Richardson’s words, “We believe that digital-led innovation and innovation in general can come from anyone.” This has opened the doors to innovations like their warehouse smart glasses, and a new vehicle service that’s reduced costs by 20% and increased goods capacity in transit by 70%.

What we’ve learned: Actively encouraging staff throughout the business to engage with their digital transformation has given DHL unique opportunities to innovate and stay ultra-competitive.

Hasbro

One of the main things that can derail a digital transformation project is a lack of customer knowledge. Hasbro is a great example of a business that recognised the role of data in its transformation and used the insights gathered to change its strategy. A brave move to be sure.

Rather than marketing to kids as the brand historically did, they started to market to the purchasers – the parents. Through social media channels and advertising at the right point in the customer journey, they’ve grown sales by up to $1 billion. But that’s not all, with innovative partnerships with digital companies like Buzzfeed, they’ve brought traditional games like Monopoly onto modern gaming platforms, extending their appeal.

What we’ve learned: Another example of how data can inform strategy, Hasbro changed their target audience and used digital platforms to engage with their audiences in new ways.

In conclusion…

Digital transformation is a challenging process to tackle. This has created as many obstacles as opportunities for companies looking to revolutionise the way they connect with customers and stay competitive in their marketplace.

There are inspiring examples from businesses across sectors who have taken their digital transformation by the horns and carved out a new niche for themselves. Using data to inform strategic decisions and creating a collaborative environment for staff to actively drive the process are two common threads in each of the cases we’ve looked at.

Each also uses tech not in isolation, but as a way of meeting customer expectations with innovative solutions. Ultimately, it’s about using all the intel you have to develop hard-hitting digital products that answer a need. And that’s what each of these businesses has done with aplomb.

Author Biog:

With over 17 years’ experience in UX and Digital, Andrew Machin, Founder and UX Director at LION+MASON has helped global brands such as John Lewis, Jet2, and Interflora create transformational digital experiences, from web applications to in-store retail experiences.

Through the success of such projects Andrew has received accolades that include high-profile awards that span innovation, strategy, design, and results, such as the Dadi Grand Prix Award and the Digital Impact Award for Innovation.

This experience has led to Andrew judging the Digital Experience Awards, being featured in .net magazine, lecturing at Leeds University, and speaking at seminars and conferences across the UK.

Andrew will be leading a roundtable session on UX & Online Customer Experience at our Digital Leaders Masterclass #DIGITALMANC18 in Manchester on Tuesday 6th November 2018.