The Customer Experience Challenge: Four Steps IT Operations Can Take to Solve It

Of all the things IT operations people have to worry about, chief among them should be answering the ongoing question, “Are my customers happy?” In fact, it all starts and ends with the customer.

CIO Review

Bill Talbot, ‎VP, Solution and Product Marketing, CA Technologies

Of all the things IT operations people have to worry about, chief among them should be answering the ongoing question, “Are my customers happy?” In fact, it all starts and ends with the customer. If customer experience is positive then you know that app performance is good, that your apps are responsive and that customers get their questions answered when they have them. If customer experience is poor then you better start digging to find out why, and fast.

Recent studies have shown that 68 percent of users will abandon an app if it takes more than six seconds to load, and nearly half of those said they would give up if it took more than three seconds to load. Over 70 percent of consumers rank “easy to use” as a deciding factor to either use or buy an app, and 10 percent said they would abandon a brand forever if they had a security problem. The takeaway – make your customers’ experience with your business and its apps fast, simple and secure.

Clearly, the risk of losing customers due to a poor experience is higher than ever before. Customers can find an alternative solution – your competitor’s – in seconds. In the online retail world, it’s a simple click to abandon a shopping cart. For complex business applications, it may take a little longer to make a switch, but the costs aren’t what they used to be in this new “one-click world.” So what can you do to not be left in the dust?

Analytics can also support the behind-the-scenes work of your IT operations and development teams.

Here are four simple steps you can take to help improve customer experience:

1. Measure and monitor your customer experience always. The old adage still rings true, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” If you don’t know what your customers are experiencing, this is a necessary and achievable first step.

With an IT analytics solution focused on end user experience, you can find out how long your apps are taking to load, how complicated your software is to use, how long users are engaged, whether they come back to your app and more. There’s also a security element – the right analytics solution can make sure your data is encrypted at all times, whether transiting the network between systems or at rest on systems.

Analytics can also support the behind-the-scenes work of your IT operations and development teams. For example, it can give visibility into end-to-end performance, from a mobile device to the backend systems. And, since crashes do happen, this visibility can give them the insight needed to quickly identify and remedy the root cause.

2. Learn to love APIs and manage them. APIs have been around for a long time. So why are they so important right now?

APIs are the building blocks of digital transformation. With APIs, you can connect employees, partners, apps and devices to data both inside and outside your organization, opening your business to new revenue opportunities.

Leveraging APIs make digital transformation faster and more efficient. But using them to deliver both a compelling and consistent customer experience requires API management.

API management can help integrate multiple customer data sources quickly, easily, and securely. This gives you a huge opportunity to provide a more rewarding customer experience and, in turn, cement customer loyalty.

IceMobile, a leading global loyalty agency focused on food retail, is a good example of API management in action. Using API management, they were able to securely connect their platform to their retailers’ real-time, transactional customer relationship management and point of sale systems and deliver instant, personalized mobile offers to their customers’ mobile devices, helping to increase shopper engagement and customer loyalty. In addition, the API management platform eliminated the need to develop and test custom software, enabling IceMobile to trim implementation time from 14 weeks to less than eight weeks.

3. Get Agile: Agile is about delivering quality software faster. It means you prioritize and deliver the functionality and experience your customers want, continuously benchmark to improve performance, and collaborate across tools, teams and time zones.

In today’s competitive business environment, you can’t afford to deliver a major release – something that could take 12 to 18 months to create – based on assumptions that may even be relevant any more once the development time ends. At the current rate of technology change, needs rapidly shift and what might have been critical functionality at the start of the development cycle, may no longer be relevant. The market moves on with or without you.

And beyond keeping your business relevant, the agile process keeps the customer involved all along the way, testing and validating assumptions regularly to ensure you deliver the solution that meets their needs and expectations. Cycle times are shorter, more directed and immediately useful.

Heartland Payment Systems uses Agile methodology and processes to help their IT operations department of 400 people respond more quickly to opportunities essential to the business. With an Agile development approach in place, they’ve been able to eliminate bottlenecks and, as a result, now deliver new services in a more predictable rhythm and with greater speed. And because new services are launched more quickly, they’ve been able to increase market share in relation to their competitors.

4. At your service: Traditional service management seems to have stalled – the legacy help desk’s single ticket approach simply was not built for today’s world. People want fast and easy access to service. They want to be able to connect with you while navigating your site or through social media, whether on their laptop or mobile device.

Customers also want their vendors to know them, to have all of their information in one place so if they make numerous contacts by various methods – phone, email, social media or live chat – they don’t need to re-introduce themselves and their problem again and again. A single customer service database goes a long way towards relieving both your customers’ and your team’s frustration. These two little boxes need to be everywhere and when a customer clicks on one all their data should be available.

CA Technologies encounters the same customer experience issues as every other business, and CA’s IT team works to improve the customer experience for their customers – CA employees. The team recently delivered a new app called NeedHelp for the iPad and the iPhone using several of CA’s own solutions. The app downloads and installs in less than a minute, and so far, employees love it. One employee said that it is like sending up a flare and then the IT people come and rescue you. What’s not to like about that?

Customer experience may be everyone’s issue, but IT operations is uniquely positioned to make a real difference. Whether using analytics to understand exactly what customers are experiencing or streamlining and personalizing service, IT is at the heart of the opportunity to grow the business through improving customer experience.

More in News

Driving Operational Excellence with a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Dynamics 365 Business Central

Modern organizations operate in an environment where every department depends on accurate information and connected processes to maintain efficiency. As businesses grow, finance operations, inventory, customer service and project management become increasingly interconnected. Disconnected systems often create delays, increase manual work and reduce visibility across the organization. Digital transformation has therefore become an essential business strategy rather than simply a technology upgrade. It creates a stronger operational foundation that supports consistent performance and sustainable growth. Many organizations adopt enterprise resource planning platforms to improve coordination and decision-making. The value of these platforms depends on proper implementation, customization and long-term support. Working with a Microsoft solutions partner for Dynamics 365 Business Central enables organizations to align technology with operational priorities while creating a connected environment that supports every department. Instead of adjusting business processes to fit isolated systems, organizations can establish workflows that improve efficiency while remaining flexible enough to support future growth. Building Connected Business Operations The first key to operational excellence is good communication between departments. Sales forecast and production information are important for inventory managers, and purchase data is important for the finance team. Customer service staff also require instant access to order and delivery details. If information is not centralised employees waste precious time in their efforts to look for information rather than doing their work. The centralized enterprise platform will provide a unified environment for key enterprise functions. Staff use common data that is consistent across departments. This will minimize duplicate records, create accountability and provide managers with accurate business information to inform decision-making. Integrating the software is not enough to be successful. Each organization has different authorization procedures, reporting requirements, operating systems and compliance needs. A well-designed implementation will take the platform to meet the existing business goals rather than forcing the staff to work in unfamiliar ways. This will help to ensure a more seamless transition and maintain continuity of operations. In addition to enhancing operational performance, automation diminishes repetitive manual tasks. Structured workflows can speed up the approvals for invoice processing, inventory updates and financial reconciliation with minimal manual effort. Staff have more time to concentrate on planning customer relationships and ongoing enhancement. Centralized reporting also provides greater visibility throughout the organization. Integrated dashboards provide managers with an overview of financial performance, inventory activity, purchasing operations and business trends. Quick access to meaningful information enables informed decision-making and helps the organization to react better in the changing business environment. Supporting Sustainable Growth Business growth introduces new operational demands beyond increasing sales. Organizations may expand into additional locations, introduce new services or manage larger supplier relationships. These developments require stronger coordination across finance operations, procurement and customer management. Scalable business systems provide the flexibility needed to support these changes without disrupting existing processes. Workflows can evolve alongside organizational priorities while maintaining consistency across departments. This adaptability enables businesses to remain efficient as operational complexity increases. A Microsoft solutions partner for Dynamics 365 Business Central provides valuable guidance by understanding how technology should support both present operations and future goals. Rather than concentrating only on software deployment, experienced professionals evaluate existing processes, identify opportunities for improvement and recommend practical solutions that strengthen long-term operational performance. Correct data migration is also an important part of implementation. All information from financial records should transfer properly to the new environment, including customer information and operational information. Planning helps to minimize disruption and/or preserve information that is useful to continuing business activities. One of the key factors to successful adoption is employee training. Any technology that is advanced will only yield meaningful results when its users know how to use its capabilities in their everyday work. Continually assisted practical education fosters confidence that boosts productivity and maximizes technology investments for companies. Continual improvement is also achieved by periodic system optimization. The needs of businesses change continuously as they add new services, improve their processes, and adjust to customer needs. Periodic reviews enable workflows, reporting and automation strategies to evolve while maintaining daily workflow. Creating Long-Term Business Value Operational excellence is not limited to improving efficiency. It also strengthens resilience, adaptability and collaboration throughout the organization. Businesses with connected operations often achieve greater financial visibility, improved teamwork and stronger responsiveness to changing business conditions. Leaders gain clearer insights while employees perform their responsibilities with greater accuracy and consistency. Technology investments are long-term investments that can be measured over a period of time, and they can be effective when they support business strategy rather than short-term goals. Regularly assessing performance to identify opportunities for improvement and to make operational processes more efficient creates a larger basis for growth for the organization in the future. Strategic collaborations offer continuous support, assisting firms to integrate new capabilities, optimize processes, and adapt seamlessly to evolving business demands. The key to success is careful planning, combined with experienced implementation, employee engagement, and continuous improvement, which build more efficient operations, customer experiences, and a sustainable business for lasting success. ...Read more

Information Asset Management Systems: Strengthening Digital Business Foundations

Businesses are placing greater attention on how critical information is organized, accessed, retained and governed as digital operations generate growing volumes of business records. Information asset management systems help organizations bring greater structure to these assets, supporting clearer ownership, controlled access, efficient retrieval and more consistent information handling across departments. A well-organized approach can reduce time spent searching for important records, strengthen oversight of sensitive business content and support smoother coordination between teams. For B2B organizations, this can contribute to more reliable decision-making and better control over information throughout their business lifecycle. Consumer Demands Shaping Information Asset Management Business users are increasingly expecting quick and convenient access to the content required for their daily responsibilities. This is encouraging organizations to seek platforms that offer intuitive navigation, straightforward search functions and personalized access based on individual roles. Simple user experiences can reduce friction in routine information-related tasks and make these systems easier to adopt across different business functions. Security expectations are growing as companies deal with sensitive documents, customer information, financial data and internal communications. Users increasingly expect strong safeguards around sensitive content, including permission-based access, activity tracking and dependable authentication. These expectations are pushing businesses to place greater emphasis on systems that protect without making legitimate access unnecessarily difficult. Demand for connected business experiences is further influencing system requirements. Organizations increasingly prefer information environments that work smoothly alongside existing business applications, communication platforms and workflow tools. Easy sharing, consistent access across work environments and support for different user needs, are becoming important considerations as businesses seek a more connected experience for employees, clients and other stakeholders. Technological Advancements and Innovations AI is bringing new capabilities to information asset management platforms by helping organizations classify content, identify patterns and automate routine information-handling tasks. Intelligent tools can recognize document characteristics, extract relevant details and support faster processing of large information collections. This reduces manual effort and gives organizations more efficient ways to handle complex information environments. Machine learning is also supporting smarter information discovery and classification. Systems can learn from usage patterns to identify related content, flag inconsistencies, and improve the organization of large repositories over time. Automated metadata generation and intelligent tagging can further strengthen the accuracy of information classification while reducing repetitive administrative work. Advanced analytics is adding another layer of intelligence to information asset management. Organizations can examine usage patterns, content activity, retention behavior and information flows to identify areas requiring attention. Predictive capabilities can also help anticipate storage requirements, identify unusual activity and support more informed decisions about how business information is managed over time. Older applications may have retained data in a non-transferrable format, which can lead to a lack of context and disruption of workflow if migration occurs. A phased migration strategy can help teams assess existing records, prioritize critical information and test transfers before wider implementation. Detailed mapping of fields, metadata and relationships can further preserve the usefulness of information as it moves between systems. Strategies for Effective Information Asset Management Managing large volumes of information becomes difficult when records are scattered across departments, storage locations and business processes. Duplicate files, outdated versions and inconsistent naming practices can make it difficult to establish which information is current and reliable. A defined information structure, common naming conventions and clear rules for record ownership can bring greater consistency to business content. Regular information reviews can help remove obsolete material and maintain cleaner repositories. The governance of information could be challenging when there is no clarity in terms of accountability among different business units. There is also a risk that the records will not be managed if there is no particular team that has the responsibility to classify, retain, approve and oversee the records. Establishing defined governance roles can create clearer accountability for information throughout its business lifecycle. Documented policies, regular reviews and internal training can reinforce these responsibilities and help maintain consistent practices across departments. Regulatory requirements add further strain, since some data needs to be kept for specific lengths of time and other records need controlled disposal once their required use has ended. Manual tracking can make these obligations difficult to manage consistently, particularly when businesses handle large and varied collections of records. Automated retention rules, review schedules and documented disposal procedures can provide a more structured approach. Maintaining evidence of these actions can also help businesses demonstrate that information-handling requirements are being followed. Integration remains a practical challenge when information systems need to exchange data with established enterprise applications. Differences in data formats, system structures and workflow rules can create gaps that interrupt the movement of information between business processes. Standardized data structures, application programming interfaces and carefully planned integration frameworks can improve interoperability. Testing each connection before deployment can reduce unexpected disruptions and help maintain continuity between connected systems. ...Read more

Embedded Integration beyond the Connector Count

Software companies can build and launch products faster than they once could, but each new product enters a customer environment crowded with business applications. A SaaS vendor that once only needed to support a few widely used systems may now encounter dozens of CRM platforms alone. That changes integration from a secondary product feature into a buying condition. If a required connection is missing, the sale can stall, or the request can sit on a roadmap. A third-party integrator may still build something bespoke, but that path adds cost and creates another asset that must be maintained. Breadth, therefore, matters, but connector count by itself is a weak measure. Executives should examine how quickly a platform can turn an integration request into something usable inside the product. The more engineering effort required for each new connection, the harder it becomes to support a long tail of customer systems without pulling developers away from the core application. Embedded delivery is especially relevant because it lets the integration experience appear inside the software customers already use rather than as a separate external project. Configurability is just as important as availability. Two customers may use the same CRM or ERP but run different processes inside it. A fixed workflow can technically provide the connection while still failing to match the way either business handles data or actions. Buyers should look for integration infrastructure that can be adjusted by administrators and, where appropriate, personalized by end users. Extensibility matters for the same reason. An integration that covers only a predefined use case can become another backlog item once the customer asks for a variation. Maintenance deserves equal scrutiny because APIs and data structures change after deployment. Breakage that appears silently can push support teams into reactive troubleshooting and leave customers unsure whether the problem sits in their own product or the integration layer. Useful platforms should expose failures clearly and help classify the cause. Repair support should keep each change from becoming another engineering project. Monitoring should also show how data moves between applications so teams can trace unexpected behavior. AI-powered applications add another layer to the decision. Connections may need to restrict what data reaches a model, mask sensitive information, limit which tools an agent can invoke and record how data moves. Deployment options and compliance controls, therefore, matter alongside connector coverage. The integration layer should also manage how agents interact with external systems because inefficient exchanges can consume context unnecessarily and degrade application performance. Fastn provides an embedded integration platform that SaaS companies can white-label inside their products, supported by a gallery of connectors and AI agents that help build and maintain integrations. Administrators can configure workflows to match customer processes, while monitoring classifies integration errors and assists with remediation. fastn, Inc. also gives end users a wildcard connector that can generate a missing integration from stated requirements, reducing the need to turn an unsupported connector into a lost deal. Its controls can govern data passed to tools or models and support private cloud or other cloud deployment. For buyers trying to expand embedded integration coverage without creating a larger engineering burden, Fastn merits consideration. ...Read more

AI Video Creation: A New Era for Businesses

The creative production cycles are becoming faster and more adaptable as businesses increasingly turn to AI-driven video creation platforms to meet growing content demands. These platforms enable teams to produce high-quality visual content with minimal manual effort, reducing reliance on large production setups. Features like automated editing, script generation, and real-time customization allow brands to respond swiftly to market changes while maintaining consistent messaging across their campaigns. Beyond efficiency, the impact extends into cost control and sustainability. Reduced need for physical shoots, travel, and equipment is lowering production expenses and minimizing the environmental footprint. Simultaneously, scalable content creation is helping organizations localize messaging across regions without duplicating resources. As adoption grows, these platforms are reshaping how businesses approach storytelling, making video production more accessible, flexible, and aligned with modern operational priorities. Market Overview and Trends in AI Business Video Creation Platforms Demand is expanding steadily as organizations across industries integrate AI-driven video tools into core communication strategies. Enterprises, startups, and even internal corporate teams are leveraging these platforms to support marketing, training, customer engagement, and social media outreach at scale. The market is witnessing broader adoption across sectors such as retail, education, healthcare, and finance, where the need for frequent, visually engaging content continues to grow. This widespread use is strengthening the platform ecosystem and encouraging continuous feature development. Technology advancements are playing a central role in shaping current trends. Improvements in generative AI, voice synthesis, and multilingual capabilities are enabling more personalized and region-specific content delivery. Cloud-based deployment models are further enhancing accessibility, allowing teams to collaborate seamlessly without heavy infrastructure. In addition, integration with analytics tools is helping businesses measure content performance more effectively, creating a data-backed approach to video strategy and refinement. Competitive dynamics are also evolving as platform providers focus on differentiation through customization, security, and enterprise-grade capabilities. Subscription-based models, flexible pricing tiers, and API integrations are making these solutions more adaptable to varying business needs. At the same time, concerns around data privacy, content authenticity, and intellectual property are prompting stricter governance and platform safeguards. Together, these developments are shaping a market that is not only growing rapidly but also maturing in terms of reliability, scalability, and trust. Key Challenges and Solutions Shaping AI Business Video Creation Platforms Maintaining content authenticity remains a pressing concern as AI-generated videos become more advanced. The risk of misrepresentation, deepfake misuse, and loss of brand credibility is pushing organizations to adopt stricter validation processes. In response, platform providers are introducing watermarking, traceability features, and verification layers that help distinguish original content from manipulated outputs, ensuring greater transparency across digital channels. Another challenge lies in balancing creative control with automation. While AI accelerates production, it can sometimes limit originality or fail to capture nuanced brand identity. To address this, companies are enhancing customization capabilities, allowing users to fine-tune visual styles, tone, and narrative elements. Hybrid workflows that combine human oversight with AI assistance are emerging as a practical solution, preserving creativity while maintaining efficiency. "Hybrid workflows that combine human oversight with AI assistance are emerging as a practical solution, preserving creativity while maintaining efficiency." Data security and compliance requirements are also shaping platform development. Handling sensitive business data, scripts, and proprietary visuals requires robust protection measures, especially for enterprises operating across multiple regions. As a result, providers are strengthening encryption protocols, access controls, and compliance frameworks to align with evolving regulatory standards and enterprise expectations. Integration challenges continue to surface as businesses seek seamless compatibility with existing digital ecosystems. Disconnected tools can disrupt workflows and reduce overall productivity. In response, developers are focusing on interoperability, enabling smoother connections with marketing platforms, content management systems, and enterprise software to create a more unified operational environment. The pace of technological change itself presents both an opportunity and a hurdle. Rapid innovation can make it difficult for organizations to keep up with evolving features and capabilities. To counter this, vendors are investing in user education, intuitive interfaces, and ongoing support systems that simplify adoption. This approach is helping businesses stay aligned with advancements while maximizing the long-term value of AI-driven video solutions. Future Outlook and Innovations in AI Video Creation Platforms The next phase of growth is expected to be shaped by deeper intelligence and contextual understanding within video creation systems. Platforms are moving toward generating content that adapts not just to prompts, but to audience behavior, platform requirements, and real-time engagement signals. This shift is likely to support more dynamic storytelling, where videos evolve based on viewer interaction, enabling businesses to deliver more responsive and outcome-driven content experiences. Innovation is also advancing in the area of hyper-personalization at scale. Future platforms are anticipated to create highly tailored video outputs for different audience segments without increasing production timelines. From individualized messaging to culturally adaptive visuals, this capability is set to redefine how brands communicate across diverse markets, making content feel more relevant and closely aligned with audience expectations. Another emerging direction involves immersive and interactive formats that go beyond traditional video structures. The integration of augmented elements, interactive layers, and adaptive visual environments is opening new possibilities for engagement, particularly in training, marketing, and virtual experiences. These advancements are expected to blur the line between static content and interactive media, offering richer and more engaging user journeys. ...Read more