Dr. James Peake, M. D. , former U. S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Army Surgeon General, is a senior vice president at CGI Federal overseeing the company’s healthcare programs.
By James Peake
I think the primary value of the VOC is in stimulating conversations that help us understand our clients’ strategic concerns. It is an opportunity to listen and educate ourselves about the trends and priorities they see.
Because the program brings together so many different views from around the world, the results create valuable data points to help our clients confirm if they’re on the right track compared to peers, or to identify areas of difference. This allows us to start to strategize together about the implications, and to provide consultation that takes discussions in new directions.
Gaining insights into emerging topics
When we go back to clients with our insights from their own industry, or even from other industries, it is great to hear their reaction to our analysis. For example, one of the takeaways from our 2022 health industry insights is the growing recognition of the need to consider social determinants of health in ensuring quality of care. In one of our follow-up conversations, a client was concerned about how to measure the value of interventions that address social determinants of health, since impacts can be long-term. The discussion was around how to demonstrate the ROI.
This is an example of looking at emerging trends in the VOC to help clients think about new challenges and opportunities. It is a valuable conversation for the client, and also is valuable for CGI to understand how we can help with these kinds of issues when it comes to planning or strategy.
Tapping into cross-industry knowledge
Another strength of the VOC is that we cover many industries. As healthcare shifts to become more consumer-centric, some insights from the retail industry are becoming more relevant in my conversations with clients. For example, in the U.S., health plans increasingly are concerned about reducing member churn rates. Data suggests that members will switch plans for relatively small changes in premiums or co-pays.
In discussions with clients about ways to build member loyalty, we have talked about retail industry insights and practices such as using Net Promoter Scores to measure the customer experience of a brand.
All-in-all, the VOC program helps our clients and CGI with our respective planning processes. It allows clients to validate what they know, identify new areas to investigate, and see how they compare to peers. It helps CGI to think about how best to meet the needs of our clients as they navigate their futures. The greatest value, however, is when these coalesce in having the strategic conversations together.
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.
