The Voice of Our Clients (VOC) program is an excellent way for us to interact with our clients at a strategic and also very actionable level. During these one-on-one conversations, we listen to understand our clients’ challenges and successes. What differentiates VOC is that it tracks trends and priorities of organizations and it provides the answers to the “why” behind the changes.
Our clients value the breadth of insights that VOC provides. In 2022, we spoke with close to 1,700 CXO-level executives across industries and geographies worldwide, of which about 200 executives were from retail, consumer and services. For our retail clients, it means wherever they may be located, they get the perspectives of what digital leaders (or those producing results from their digital strategies) do differently.
It’s not CGI’s view of the world.
It is what our clients and their peers say that resonates strongly with the clients I engage with.
There are two parts to VOC conversations. One is where we discuss, with our clients, topics tailored to their industry to get their view on the trends, priorities and investments driving their business. Then a few months later, our clients gather their management teams to discuss the VOC findings based on our research and analysis. These conversations enable us to help clients pinpoint clear actions they can take based on the insights.
A major benefit of presenting the VOC results to our clients is that it enables continued dialogue on the critical topics from the first conversation, supplemented by insights from the rest of the industry on the same topic. Being advisors, we focus on the topics most relevant to our clients.
Recently at NRF 2023, I met with a large retailer and shared VOC findings about the attributes of digital leaders, including how far along they are in their digital transformation. Although this retailer is well-advanced in their digital transformation journey, this information was highly insightful to them, and we’re now scheduled to provide a detailed readout of the VOC findings.
I believe this is one of the most valuable aspects of VOC—the ability it gives our clients to track their progress compared to their peers and identify areas where they need to focus their investments to prepare for the future.
Another significant value of these conversations is that it sparks internal dialogue, which helps our clients take both “outside-in” and “inside-out” perspectives. During a VOC readout with a retail CIO and her immediate leadership team, I shared an industry investment matrix, i.e., the areas where retail companies are prioritizing investments. The client zeroed in on this matrix, and the team proceeded to have a lengthy discussion about their own investment priorities.
VOC is certainly not a “survey.” Neither are the conversations intended to sell our competencies. Instead, these highly client-centric and personalized interactions are a two-way knowledge-sharing exercise that underpins our collaborative, consultative mindset here at CGI.
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.
