25th May 2018 – This is the deadline for GDPR to be enforced all over the EU. As nations prepare for D-Day, there are still many issues that need to be addressed. While some look at this as a boon for citizen’s privacy, what would be the impact on personalization and the customer-centric approach which is the mantra for businesses today? How will “the right to be forgotten” and “the right to withdraw consent” affect tech giants that rely on customer data for their bread and butter?

GDPR – What it Entails

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a ruleset that “was designed to harmonize data privacy laws across Europe, to protect and empower all EU citizens data privacy and to reshape the way organizations across the region approach data privacy.” 

The ruleset includes a detailed code of how organizations that hold customer data should ensure respect for privacy of their customers. Though this is a European Union regulation, it holds implications for any organization that collects data from, offers services and products to, or monitors the behavior of EU citizens. Technically then, this regulation has far-reaching consequences. And a hefty consequence at that, since non-compliance could mean fines of 20 million euros or 4% of your turnover!

The regulation focuses on ensuring the following Rights:

• Right to be notified of a Data Breach – this means that customers must be made aware of any access to their information if it is a risk to their freedom and rights.
• Right to Access – This grants every individual the right to know how and where their personal data is being used.
• Right to be Forgotten – Through this clause, every individual can ask for all their data to be deleted and put a halt on the further distribution of their data to third parties.
• Data Portability – This allows individuals to request for their personal data and transmit it to another controller if they so desire.

Though there are many other directions in the regulation such as Privacy by Design and the stationing of Data Protection Officers, these give us an idea of what the GDPR is focusing on. Consent seems to be the keyword and it means more than a tick in the box at the end of a legalese coated web popup.

Repercussions on the Tech Industry

Let’s start with the obvious – the technology industry’s reliance on monetized data to understand customer’s needs and come up with effective product ideas and marketing campaigns. This might hit a major roadblock with the new regulations in force.

Consider companies like Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, Google and other information sharing and cloud service providers. They have a huge stake in hosting information in data centers for other companies and will now be under close scrutiny. What will Facebook do? The right to withdraw consent and to be forgotten will also mean the loss of huge storehouses of valuable data. Moreover, the need to comply with GDPR requires systems and internal processes that need to be put firmly in place. This will be quite an expensive overhaul.  

Not All Bad News

From an individual’s perspective, there is no doubt about it – GDPR is a definite boon. The fact that there are strong measures to ensure that their data will not be misused will most likely dispel their reservations in sharing information. While GDPR will be an implementation challenge for companies worldwide, the news is not all gloomy either. This regulation and the processes that come with it will definitely aid in bridging customers’ distrust in connection to information sharing. It will ensure transparency that has always been valued by consumers and will provide a stronger basis for brand loyalty.

Organizations are rising to the challenge. I saw overwhelming evidence of this at the recent Nordic Edge Expo. I was delighted to support Bolder, a dynamic company that is working on giving back the power over their data to the customer. Instead of looking at it as a standoff between customer and client, Bolder equips organizations to empower their customers “with the gift of owning and managing their relation to your company.” As their technology partner, we are looking forward to embracing GDPR and overcoming the challenges it will bring. I would love to hear more about how your organization is bracing itself for this change.

The Indus Entrepreneurs, or TiE, conducted this year’s Charter Member Global Retreat from 3^rd to 6^th August, 2017. The annual event, conducted to nurture networking and connectivity among its Charter Members spread around the globe, was held this year at Cape Town, South Africa, at the Table Bay Hotel. Being a CM, Mukund got an opportunity to attend this annual event. This was his first trip to the continent.  

What is the TiE Retreat all about?

TiE fosters entrepreneurship around the world. The global summit/retreat is an annual event for its charter members, so that they can interact, learn and network with entrepreneurs and visionaries from across the globe. At this year’s retreat, we had some amazing presentations and speakers, including Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, Zelda La Grange, Nelson Mandela’s personal assistant of 16 years, and AJ Patel, TiE Founder and Chairman, Mara Wildlife Conservation. We also had a Gala evening where TiE members and chapters were honoured for their contributions.

So was it more like a conference?

Not at all. We had a lot of fun and some really exciting experiences like steel cage diving to see the Great White shark, mountain hiking at the Table Top Mountain, Robben island visits, etc. TiE retreats are more geared towards understanding the local economy, sight-seeing, business opportunities and networking. Actually, the entire retreat is built around making deep and extensive networking connections.

Tell us about one such connection you made 

With pleasure. Nitin Rai, Vice Chairman of TiE Global and Chair of TiE Angels, visited Suyati shortly after our return from Cape Town. He had come down to Kerala for the TiE Kerala Retreat at Kumarakom, and was happy to drop in at Suyati for a quick visit. We spoke about setting up a Kerala Angel Network, and I got some really valuable insights from him on how to scrutinize and qualify companies that seek investment. I consider this great value addition to my experience and understanding about this ever-changing industry.

So is the next step to look at business opportunities in South Africa? 

Maybe! South Africa seems like a great entry point for the rest of Africa, as it is more structured and offers more clarity in terms of business laws. So things are relatively simpler for those who want to set up business there or access the rest of Africa from there. Other places aren’t bad, just that the judicial system of this particular region seem to be much closer to the western laws that Indians might be familiar with. SA also has great educational institutions where students from the rest of Africa come to study. Looking at all this, it seems like an ideal place to set up a business – Cape Town feels like a great place for IT and innovation.

Read: TiE’s Coffee Pe Charcha

So would you say South Africa is more business-ready than the rest of Africa?

Hmm, maybe not in those specific words, but I would say SA definitely has more IT in place than the other places I visited like Kenya, Zambia, etc. Places like Kenya offers a lot of opportunities in terms of data monetization. It will be a good way to uplift their society – they will be able to share the data they create and charge for it. Empowering them with the possibilities of IT would be a great step. I landed in Kenya on the day of their national elections, and it was amazing to see thousands of people queuing up to vote. With such steadily improving dynamics of the continent, Africa has tremendous opportunities to grow and develop its citizens in terms of education and career opportunities.

What did you think about the famous African Safari?

One thing that struck me as impressive was how Africans left Nature alone! We were lucky to be in Africa during the great migration. Maasai Mara, the place I visited, seemed to be untainted by human interference. We were able to see animals in their natural habitat. We waited several hours near the Mara River to observe the river crossing, but unfortunately due to the presence of crocodiles, that did not happen. While we managed to see most of the big five in their natural habitat, this river crossing was a sight we missed. We were later informed by our tour guide that the zebras and other wild beasts made their crossing the next day.

Any experience that stood out during the whole trip?

The whole trip was very fruitful, but what really stood out for me was when I was invited to visit and stay at a Maasai home. The Maasai Tribe stay in tiny living spaces – maybe 100 sqft or so – and yet they are very happy without any of the basic necessities like running water or electricity. They’re such warm, welcoming people, and follow a very modest lifestyle – they herd sheep and cows for a living, have a very simple diet, and are pretty non-materialistic. There are government schools in the vicinity where their children study. Some members of the Tribe have relocated to Nairobi and other cities in search of better employment, but the rest continue to live and move together in perfect harmony with Nature.

So it is safe to say that your African Safari was a memorable one?

Most definitely. It was a great experience where I made a lot of friends, business connections, explored a new continent, built deeper relationships, and came back with the Maasai experience that makes me feel more grateful for what I have.

Creating superlative customer experiences has always been the foundation for the success of a business. “Customer is King” has been a mantra that has only increased in value today and technology has helped meet the challenge of enhancing a customer’s experience manifold. In an EY study conducted in India, “74% of the respondents indicated that the importance of customer experience management is growing within their company.”

While its importance is unquestionable in the corporate sector, does CXM (where the Citizen is the customer) have relevance for governments and in the public sector? Before that, let us explore what Customer Experience Management really means.

Customer Experience Management

Customer Experience Management is often mistaken as being synonymous with CRM (Customer Relationship Management), but it isn’t quite the same. CXM is more concerned with the right messaging to customers, and the technology used to achieve this is quite different from CRM systems. A CXM works in tandem with internal processes, communications, help desk support, service centers and other systems to create a unique and seamless experience. A customer’s experience is thus enhanced through every step of their journey and delivered seamlessly through the web, mobile, traditional marketing and social channels.

The Relevance of CXM in Governments and Public Sector

Governments aren’t given enough credit for their role in modernization but the fact remains that they are surging ahead with the times to the extent that bureaucracy allows. A commitment towards providing better services to their citizens and improving their experience in accessing these services has led many governments to seek out CXM systems.

A 2011 order issued from the White House emphasizes this commitment. The Executive Order 13571, Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service states its goal to include “increasingly popular lower-cost, self-service options accessed by the Internet or mobile phone and improved processes that deliver services faster and more responsively, reducing the overall need for customer inquiries and complaints.” From Immigration services, college applications, consolidating information for veterans and much more, technology is used in the best possible way to deliver an enhanced customer experience.

Governments across the globe have since modernized their websites and other interfaces and made services more accessible. The public sector is providing effective digital experiences for citizens through applications for services like paying taxes, applying for benefits and a host of other services.

A Deloitte study on the economic benefits of digitising customer transaction services for Australian federal and state government departments brought out the benefits of this. It pointed out that “digitising customer transactions can unlock a range of productivity and efficiency benefits for government. Because digital transactions are generally faster, more convenient and mobile, they are fast becoming the preferred channel for citizens to access government services.”

Enabling an effective Customer Experience Management, or Citizen Experience Management in the context of government services, is key to this transformation. Streamlining the process, ensuring that every touch point in the citizen’s experience with the applications and services is smooth, getting the right information to citizens in the way they want it and at the right time – these are tasks that efficient CXMs bring to the table in the public sector.

Read: Digital Transformation: Don’t overthink it – Get Started!

CXM and Kerala – a model case study

India has caught up fast as well. The government is working towards e-governance and digitization with renewed zeal. In fact, the state of Kerala is a forerunner in this effort and its e-district initiative is an apt case in point. e-District is a State Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan. This concept aims to automate work flow, digitize backend processes and integrate them towards process redesign. The goal of these efforts is to enable a streamlined delivery of services through the State’s Akshaya Centres and make these services easily accessible to citizens of the state.

Read: The impact of Make in India initiative on the IT industry

The Akshaya Centres in themselves are a noteworthy achievement. “Akshaya” is a network of IT entrepreneurs who work in tandem with the government’s goal to achieve the efficient application of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) to citizen services. The State has around 2300 such citizen-service centers that are working on many initiatives including e-offices, government payment gateways, mobile service delivery gateways and many more. The Government of Kerala recently released its Information Technology Policy 2017, which emphasizes the State’s commitment to “establish Kerala as a Knowledge Powered Digital Society by 2020 through application of Digital Technologies in the areas of Digital Citizenship, Digital Lifestyle and Digital Commerce …”

This focus is being echoed through other states as well and it sure looks like there will be many more good things to come right here in India thanks to the application of an effective Customer Experience Management model. I would love to hear more on how these initiatives have helped you and your business.