In today’s fast-paced world, organisations must innovate rapidly to keep up with evolving customer expectations and stand out in competitive markets. Customer Centricity Month, now in its third year, provides a platform to explore how businesses can achieve sustainable growth and customer satisfaction by placing their customers at the heart of their strategies.
Hosted throughout November by Sopra Steria Next and CXPartners, the 2024 edition offered a series of four weekly webinars designed to take participants from foundational principles to the future of customer-centric practices.
This year’s sessions covered a range of critical themes, including innovation, AI, data quality, cultural transformation, and the future of customer-centricity. With expert speakers and industry leaders sharing insights, the series delved into how organisations can align their strategies with customer needs, leverage advanced technologies, and foster a culture that supports continuous improvement and adaptability. Here are the key takeaways from the four sessions.
Key themes from Customer Centricity Month 2024
Innovation and Design
The opening session, led by Giles Colborne, Director of Strategy, Sopra Steria Next, and Molly Stevens, Senior Director of UX at Booking.com, emphasised the importance of defining success metrics at the outset of every design and innovation project. Organisations were encouraged to:
- Align projects with strategic goals through measurable objectives.
- Clarify stakeholder expectations early to guide focused efforts.
- Balance creativity with clarity and strategic alignment to maximise value.
With technological advancements and shifting budgets, leveraging AI to complement solid design fundamentals emerged as a central theme for future innovation success.
Watch ‘Innovation and Design in 2025’ on our YouTube Channel.
Shaping the future with data, AI and customer centricity
Susannah Matschke, Head of UK Data & AI Consulting – Strategy & Growth at Sopra Steria Next highlighted that nearly 80% of AI projects fail due to poor data quality, stressing the need for high-quality, actionable data as a foundation for AI initiatives. Key takeaways included:
- Prioritise solving real business problems with AI rather than chasing trends.
- Support AI implementation with robust change management and clear communication.
- Align AI initiatives with both organisational culture and user needs to ensure meaningful impact.
Watch ‘Shaping the future with data, AI and customer centricity’ on our YouTube Channel.
Driving Success with a customer centric culture
An expert panel discussed how successful businesses balance the needs of shareholders, employees, and customers.
Our panellists were:
- Germaine Faulkner, Customer Experience & Service Design Lead - Civil Aviation Authority
- Sarah Lyons, CMO - Parmenion
- Jonti Dalal-Small, Behaviour Science Lead - Sopra Steria Next
The panel discussed how to drive cultural change, and recommended that organisations should:
- Identify customer and employee pain points.
- Leverage data from reviews, social media, and internal surveys to uncover actionable insights.
- Foster a culture that harmonises these insights for sustainable growth.
Watch ‘Driving success with a customer centric culture’ on our YouTube Channel.
The Future of Customer Centricity
Tom Scott, Experience Director at CXPartners concluded the series by exploring how organisations can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of an AI-driven future. Discovery and alpha phases have become standard practice, helping organisations iteratively refine solutions based on real customer feedback. However, unlocking the potential of qualitative data through AI tools remains a critical challenge. Success in this space will require a focus on upskilling teams, operational excellence, and a deep understanding of customer behaviour to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape.
Watch ‘The future of customer centricity’ on our YouTube Channel.
Looking ahead
Customer Centricity Month 2024 reinforced the value of putting customers at the core of business strategies. As organisations face complex challenges, the insights shared during the series underscore the importance of innovation, robust data practices, cultural alignment, and forward-thinking design approaches in building resilient, customer-focused organisations.