A shift in the strategy from reactive tobeing proactive has helped companies gain a competitive advantage because· Unlikethe earlier strategy of getting customers hooked in by making them signcontracts, this approach works better as the customers want to stay themselvesas these create a value for them.
· Thiswould also give an edge of shaping customer journey and put on the leadingshoes to lead the change the consumers want. Four Key capabilities that drive proactivejourney management are:· AutomationàThis involves simplifying and streamlining the steps in the consumer journey,turning complex back end operations into interactive user defined app-based experiences.For example, Sonos- an intelligent app-based music system automates everythingfrom laying wires throughout the house to hooking speakers and creatingseparate online accounts for various music providers.· ProactivePersonalizationà Building on a strongautomation, next step would be personalizing based on the previous interactionsand once the consumer makes a choice, tailoring all the next steps to ease thetransition.
To illustrate, L’Oréal’s Makeup Genius app allows customers to tryon makeup virtually and customize the experiences to display images of howvarious shades and products achieve different looks. Further, it learns on thepreferences made by customers to tailor its choices.· ContextualInteractionà This capabilityincludes gaining from the knowledge on where in the journey is customercurrently standing in and making further changes in design or experience todraw the customer forward. For example, Starwood hotels have released an appthat notifies the customer on the room to check in, helps them to unlock herroom through the app and sends thought out recommendations on the amenitiesavailable at the hotel.· JourneyInnovationà Fourth and the lastkey capability to drive proactive customer journey is innovation. The ultimategoal is to dig in new sources of value for both customers and the organizationto drive further visits or make them use the service again.
This involves lot of experimentation andactive analysis of needs, technologies to come up with potential new steps. Toillustrate, Delta Airlines has launched a mobile app that acts a travelmanagement assistant capturing everything from checking in to in flightentertainment and booking cabs from airport, thus extending on the completejourney and innovating its service.
