DX In Design: The march of the next-gen, tech-driven businesses in Phl
The next wave of successful Philippine enterprises is redefining the
way brands interact and connect with consumers as we speak.
The barometer of success for businesses in the future will not only
depend on how they utilize technology. More importantly, their growth will be
heavily anchored on the depth of interaction and quality experience customers
get by interfacing with their brand.
This is what Micro-D International, Inc. (MDI) chief executive officer
Myla Villanueva believes as she takes the lead in advocating real Digital
Transformation (DX) in the Philippines, one where the DX Trinity—design, the
physical space, and the brand’s aspirations—exist in harmony to create a
remarkable customer experience.
MDI believes that any design which does not prioritize the integration
of technology within a physical space and aligns itself with the brand’s
promise is an incomplete design.
“The challenge for businesses today is how they can integrate their
back-end with their front to bring their brand aspirations to life,” Villanueva
says. “Look at other innovation pioneers, like Apple or GoPro. Every
groundbreaking technology today should take into consideration the human
element and interaction and how it complements its surroundings.”
A legacy of transformative thinking
Nowadays, it has become very important for corporations to understand
that technology is utilized not just for technology’s sake. It must serve a
bigger purpose in their organization as an “enabler.”
For the past 30 years, MDI has partnered with some of the country’s
leading corporations to do just that: embrace the DX Trinity to ensure that
their brand’s promises are manifested across all contact points with their
customers.
The first step in MDI’s DX journey is taking the time to understand the
aspirations of the business. What is the bigger goal they want to achieve? How
do they see themselves as innovators? How will their ideas manifest within
their space?
Afterwards, the next thing to do is to bring in their fellow innovation
advocates.
“We collaborate with the right partners in promoting true Digital
Transformation to make sure that the DX Trinity come naturally together. This
way, we can ensure that an enterprise can make a significant and lasting
impact, while generating the ultimate customer experience,” Villanueva
explains.
Igniting the DX revolution
Perhaps, one of the finest examples that illustrate the coming together
of the DX Trinity is the work that MDI has done together with UnionBank of the
Philippines (UnionBank) for “The ARK”—the brand’s groundbreaking retail and
banking hub in Makati.
“The ARK is a bridge between the real-world banking experience and the
digital experience, which we have made possible by teaming up with our
partners, led of course by MDI,” says Ana Aboitiz-Delgado, deputy center head
for Consumer Finance and chief user experience Officer of UnionBank.
The ARK is a refreshing space that uses digital technology to augment
an actual banking experience. It has been a very interesting project for MDI
simply because of what they were able to accomplish given the kind of vision
UnionBank shared with them.
“When we spoke to UnionBank president, Mr. Edwin Bautista, he made their
aspiration very clear to us: to be the leading digital bank by designing a
brand experience like a tech company that has a banking engine,” Villanueva
says.
What followed was a long process of going back to the basics and
understanding the intricacies and the details of every customer’s point of
interaction inside the bank. MDI looked at every process, every engagement,
every interaction a customer goes through their journey in a branch.
Then, they researched and experimented on how they could make each
process more effective and efficient, and how they can delight the customer by
maximizing the DX Trinity.
The result was a space where clients can move around freely, make
themselves feel comfortable, order a free latte at the coffee bar, or log on to
the Internet to get some work done.
The ARK also becomes an avenue for off-site productivity, encouraging
creative tech ideas not just from its partners but from its customers as well.
Still, within the space, there is very powerful technology that allows
customers to save time, fulfill their usual routines, enjoy a more hassle-free
banking experience, and interact with the space positively.
“We’re very delighted at how MDI and our partners have interpreted our
vision and brought our ideas to life at The ARK,” Delgado explains. “Look
around you and you’ll see that this is not just a bank anymore. It’s now become
a ‘third space.”’
The way technology has evolved today, there really needs to be a strong
synergy between technology, design, and brand aspirations. This DX Trinity has
become the primary pillars for the game-changing work that MDI has been doing
because, as Villanueva asserts, any DX journey will cease to make a difference
if one of these three goes missing.
Visit http://mdi.net.ph and learn more how Micro-D International, Inc.
(MDI) is advocating powerful and impactful change for Philippine businesses by
championing “REAL” Design Transformation (DX) through the coming together of
technology, space, and brand aspirations.
0 comments