RIYADH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 19 November 2019:   Customer experience will be a business priority for 96 percent of Saudi Arabia businesses in 2020, according to a new YouGov survey launched today ahead of the Digital Saudi 2030 Riyadh event.

 

In line with Digital Saudi 2030’s theme “Transform or Be Left Behind,” as Saudi organizations digitally transform into Intelligent Enterprises, they can no longer provide products and services – they need to personalize customer experiences. As a result, about three-quarters (74 percent) of Saudi IT decision-makers rank customer experience as “very important,” and 22 percent rank it as “somewhat important.”

 

“As Saudi Vision 2030 boosts the Experience Economy, Saudi businesses need to listen, understand, and act on customer thoughts, emotions, and experiences,” said Mohammed Al Khotani, Managing Director, SAP Saudi Arabia, who will present the keynote “Customer Experience: Unlocking the Future of Customer Engagement.” Mohammed Al Khotani added: “With 96 percent of Saudi organizations prioritizing customer experience in 2020, it’s clear that customer experience is key for outperforming competitors.”

 

For example, Abdul Latif Jameel, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest diversified businesses, and alfanar Electric Division, have seen strong success in digitally transforming with SAP to optimize customer experiences.

 

Abdul Latif Jameel has seen internal performance and efficiency improve dramatically, reduced vehicle sales delivery lead times and customer order conversion times by over 50%, and maximized customer satisfaction

 

alfanar Electric Division can better service customers, enhance the electrical materials supply chain, and boost sales and products – and ultimately better support its growth and Saudi Vision 2030.

 

Combining ‘X and O’ Data to Overcome the Experience Gap

 

Saudi organizations leverage numerous customer feedback channels: direct communication (56 percent), surveys (48 percent), social media (43 percent), and ratings and reviews (40 percent).

 

However, the survey shows the “experience gap” that challenges many Saudi organizations. About two-thirds (64 percent) agree that they effectively optimize their customer experiences. And only a slim majority (53 percent) agree that they successfully collect customer feedback across all touchpoints. 

 

“Experience gaps can cause failed product launches, delayed inventory shipments, and customer churn,” added Mohammed Al Khotani. “Saudi organizations need to combine customer experience ‘x-data’ with operational ‘o-data’ to overcome the Experience Gap, and to innovate on four core business experiences: customer experiences, product experiences, employee experiences, and the sentiments on all of these.”

 

Supporting Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, SAP’s ongoing 4-year SAR 285 million Saudi Arabia investment plan includes a local cloud data center, an open platform for local developers, a Co-Innovation Center for customers, and localization of solutions such as the SAP C/4HANA customer experience suite.

 

During Digital Saudi 2030 Riyadh, experience SAP’s customer experience innovations with AI, Big Data, and IoT in the Prince Sultan’s Grand Hall at the Al Faisaliah Hotel from 19-20 November.