By Annette Trenz
VOC is a program dedicated to listening to our clients about what drives their actions and priorities. It is not to "sell" or to "educate." It is quite the opposite; it is an opportunity to share trusted and informed insights about the trends and challenges C-level executives and their direct reports face in their industry. VOC enables our clients to reflect on their progress compared to their peers and for us to remain close to our clients.
Deriving value from cross-ecosystem insights
All industries are transforming to become more connected and service-based, with new ecosystems being established. This means every organization is part of a larger ecosystem that spans various industries. One of the VOC’s most valuable aspects is that it provides our clients with rich cross-ecosystem insights derived from aggregated, anonymous data across industries, sub-industries and geographies. These insights enable our clients to reflect not only on their own digital transformation journeys, but also on where they stand in relation to digital leaders, their peers and the market as a whole.
Tracking the evolution of global trends and digital leaders
Digital transformation is not new. We have been talking about it for a couple of years. But what is new are several key macro trends that have accelerated the need for clients to advance their digital transformation strategies. These trends, like the recent shift in the world economic order, supply chain impacts, the fight against climate change and impending demographic changes, are so strongly interlinked that they are being referred to as a “polycrisis.” It is essential to understand the evolution of these trends, which is what our clients value in the VOC findings, year-over-year — insights and analysis into how trends are evolving and how companies across industries and geographies address the accompanying changes.
For instance, how is AI evolving? How are businesses using this technology? How much progress is being made, and what are the challenges companies face? Most often, the struggles are the same for companies in an industry but differ across their sub-industries. Here’s where we can really dig into the details, including what digital leaders, or those who produce results from their digital transformation strategy, are doing differently.
Last year, during Insights22, our biggest annual client event held in Finland, I had the opportunity to share, based on our VOC insights, the macro trends shaping the industry's future. Identifying macro trends is a result of our extensive market research, and conversations with analysts, technology partners, and our Board members. The VOC findings underpin the richness of the comprehensive insights we bring to our clients. (To learn more, read our white paper: The trends shaping our future: A prelude to strategic planning)
Conversations built on trust and value
I remember having a VOC read-out with the Chief Digital Officer of a manufacturing company and his direct reports, who extended our conversation from the scheduled 30 minutes to an hour because the insights we shared were pertinent to their strategic priorities. In another meeting with a C-level executive, while sharing various VOC findings on the growing importance of sustainability, the executive asked me: "Annette, do you really believe this is becoming so important and will impact my organization?" I shared my thoughts on sustainability, and my client truly recognized how imperative sustainability is.
These authentic exchanges are built on a solid foundation of trust and value. As a result, most of our clients want us to share these findings with their C-suite colleagues and teams. This is a testament to the value the VOC insights bring.
C-level executives face a demanding task. They don't just have to think about the present moment or the following year; they have to think five or 10 years ahead and develop the right strategy to grow their business for the future. The VOC findings help our clients connect the dots between what is happening and how technology can help them get to where they want to go.
As Marie Curie said more than 100 years ago: "Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
Learn more about how the VOC program can help you gain insights you can act on
Every year, CGI leaders meet with business and IT executives to gather their perspectives on the trends affecting their enterprises. These industry insights—including the attributes of digital leaders—lead to actions to best satisfy the needs of your customers and citizens.
Voice of Our Clients gathers our clients’ perspectives on the trends affecting their enterprises. Learn more about the VOC program.
