Digital Agility Depends On A Platform Approach: Three Things To Consider

Innovation Digital Agility Depends On A Platform Approach: Three Things To Consider Joshua Titus Forbes Councils Member Forbes Technology Council COUNCIL POST Expertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based) Jun 17, 2022, 07:15am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Joshua Titus, CEO at Gozio Health, is passionate about creating mobile technology that informs and delights users.

getty As this survey of health system leaders shows, the top goal of any customer-facing digital transformation initiative comes down to the customer experience. That’s why an organization’s best bet is a platform approach to digital design—one that allows for customization and control for a seamless digital experience. The days of one-off apps to meet consumers’ needs are over.

Evolving expectations and outside forces, like the pandemic, demand that organizations continuously connect with consumers in new ways. Consequently, the ability to quickly add, remove and update digital features and content on a single solution is paramount. For leaders, this also helps minimize “platform fatigue,” the weariness that leaders feel when platforms are foisted on them at every turn.

In terms of strategy, the key is to avoid getting locked into an “omnisuite of mediocrity” that does one or two things well and everything else poorly. Here are three considerations for digital platform design in a rapidly evolving environment. 1.

Look for ways to tie together all of the organization’s consumer-facing digital elements into a single platform . This avoids “Frankenstein app” scenarios where digital offerings are pieced together without considering how they complement one another. It also contributes to a tightly integrated experience that strengthens consumer engagement and produces optimal results.

MORE FOR YOU Google Issues Warning For 2 Billion Chrome Users Forget The MacBook Pro, Apple Has Bigger Plans Google Discounts Pixel 6, Nest & Pixel Buds In Limited-Time Sale Event At a health system in San Antonio we worked with, investment in a mobile app platform in 2019 gave them the infrastructure to move beyond wayfinding toward a range of digital services when Covid-19 emerged. They were able to offer residents fast access to a health screener, clinic updates and critical health information from a trusted source under one mobile application. It also reduced pressure on remote customer service personnel by incorporating a chat function that could answer most questions in real time.

2. Maintain control over the strategic digital elements that are most important to your organization’s success . The right digital platform helps tech teams avoid the tedious mundanities of in-house app development while focusing on the elements that matter most to their business.

Tech professionals also gain greater bandwidth to focus on customizing digital services to meet their customers’ most pressing needs, an approach that maintains momentum while reducing the risk of burnout . At a health system in Atlanta we worked with, a strategic focus on eliminating friction in the patient experience enabled them to create a “digital hand-holding experience” for patients. Every point in the patient journey is mapped out on the patient’s phone, from the home and the parking garage to registration and the point of care.

Following the patient visit, discharge instructions and notes from the encounter are available from a single location on the patient’s smartphone or electronic device. Patients can ask questions regarding their care, schedule a follow-up appointment or pay their bills. Recent data from the company indicates the business value of this coordinated digital approach: a four-fold increase in users—with a 63% increase from May 2020 to May 2021 alone—and a 22% increase in collections year over year.

3. Conduct a “digital soul-searching” exercise to verify value . For many organizations, the rapid digital transformation came with a load of platform solutions and features that many healthcare IT leaders now find difficult to harness effectively.

Some invested in multiple platforms and faced difficulty tying these platforms together for a more seamless digital customer journey. Now, tech leaders must consider the following question: Are we getting the right value from our digital platform? Common digital value busters include: 1. Apps that are built around a single feature, such as wayfinding or appointment scheduling, accomplish too little to keep customers coming back.

2. Platforms that create a high barrier to entry, like login and authentication requirements that are difficult for customers to remember and slow down their use of a service. 3.

A hodgepodge of features that aren’t held together by a common threat. Taking the time to consider your digital value proposition from the customer’s perspective will give your organization a stronger basis for making digital investments that matter. Create a better digital first impression.

A highly cohesive, easy-to-navigate digital platform builds trust. It also establishes a foundation for responding to consumers’ changing needs with agility and—when designed with intention—helps drive sustainable growth. Organizations can more easily customize their digital offerings by moving away from app-only offerings toward a holistic digital platform approach for better customer experiences and optimal results.

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