If you had to describe today’s service culture in one word, it would be ‘Now’. Why is this? Just look at all the services around us that deliver almost instantly. We can book flights to an exotic location while we are heading to a work meeting in a taxi, arrange flowers to be received the same day across the globe, or use an app to have dinner from a hot new restaurant delivered to your home.

What most consumers don’t think about is the amazing technology that enables this mobile lifestyle. Consumers are also having rewarding digital experiences from brands such as Amazon, Netflix and Uber. Behind the scenes it is the mobile network operators that have the complex challenge of maintaining the infrastructure and systems which new service providers like these are using. 

But despite being the enabler for so many services that consumers love, our research has shown that operators often find themselves compared for the digital experience they deliver themselves.

Reflections from TM Forum Live! Asia

Wherever you are in the world, this digital transformation is all around us and it has become critical to transform with it. At the recent TM Forum Live! Asia, I shared my knowledge along with 11 other industry experts as part of a panel on the importance of operators becoming digital enterprises.

From our expertise and experience working with operators across the globe we have created a set of principles that outline a clear path to becoming a powerful digital enterprise. The six core principles are:

• Target a unique digital position. Don’t just become digital, become something unique.
• Design magical experiences. Make customers fall in love; seduce them with experiences.
• Engage with the digital services ecosystem. Differentiate with new services and collaborate for innovation.
• Create services at digital speed. Give customers what they want — before they know they need it.
• Operate a digital organization.  It’s not business as usual. Run your business digitally.
• Evolve technology into digital.  Respect the past – and make it history.

The participants on the panel also shared advice on how to digitally transform and succeed. I was pleased to hear that their view of the future matched what we see as well. Of course, every organization is unique and, accordingly, we have developed a digital maturity assessment that enables operators to assess their current position before developing an action plan for digitization.

If you’re wondering where you are on the digital maturity continuum, take our quick, seven question digital maturity test to assess your status in seven key areas:  strategy, organization, customer, ecosystem, innovation, operations and technology.

You can also contact one of our digital maturity experts for a private consultation.

See more on Ericsson Blog.