Page 72 - SAMENA Trends - January 2021

INSIGHTS SAMENA TRENDS

Even though we don’t expect virtual capabilities are needed for sustaining well as sales. More customer-centricity, for
learning to become a widespread form operational excellence, especially as example, requires an UX-optimized design
of teaching, schools will be permanently home-office and virtual collaboration of every customer facing implication and
changed after the crisis, and profit from trends continue? a cross-product and channel-connected
acquired know-how. A. People working from home have a CRM tool. But not only OIT experts are
lower tolerance for service outages and called for, telcos also need to rethink their
For telcos, all of these trends mean bandwidth issues. They now demand a sales approach and move away from
that the importance of their services (close to) zero-outage service in their silo-like sales organization with different
(like connectivity) is much more widely homes, which will result in a need for departments responsible for different sales
recognized, which can be translated in improved SLAs and readily available channels. An integrated organizational
value adjustments and price increases. customer service, like those currently cross-channel approach is needed, and the
Customers’ churn behavior has also offered in the B2B segment. suitable processes to go with it (i.e. more
changed, since being for hours and transparency and more overall aligned
days without data connectivity is not an Another transformational change is the processes across the organization).
option anymore. As a result, many users possibility for an emerging B2C-B segment.
value high quality more than low prices, Employers could start taking over a part Apart from acquiring knowledge, operators
rewarding quality providers and reverting of their employees’ home connectivity in addition have to make sure that their
moves towards the cheapest player. costs to support them working from home networks are prepared to handle sudden
efficiently. This could work similarly to usage spikes in unexpected areas due to
Q. How has the importance of Telecom the mobile tariffs in some markets, where the change in work locations.
Operators changed or has become more employers provide their employees with
acknowledged over the past year? split invoices, etc. Q. What are the top five measures you’d
A. As mentioned above, telco services, recommend for Operators to contribute
especially connectivity services, have Regarding sales channels: Digital will in the digitally-empowered economic
drastically increased in importance, continue to be a key sales channel. recovery processes and generate
and companies as well as end users Whereas before the current crisis, between sustainable growth for themselves?
have become painfully aware of that. seven and 15 percent of acquisitions were A. Due to our experience in the industry, we
Working from somewhere other than made here, this number in some cases recommend these five measures:
the usual office (and using data-intense increased during the first six months of 1. Broaden your B2B ICT offering.
applications) made a stable, sometimes the pandemic to 20 to 30 percent! This 2. Create a (digital) ecosystem of
mobile, but at any rate high-bandwidth trend is here to stay and customers expect solutions.
connection a necessity for many. a seamless (online) experience across 3. Strengthen your company’s digital
Consequently, connectivity has become their entire customer journey. To ensure channels and omni-channel capabilities
less of a commodity (as increasingly this operators will need to improve their (e.g. increase their attractiveness
perceived in recent years), but more a digital customer engagement capabilities and create easy-to-us customer
value differentiator for companies as well and provide easy-to-use customer touchpoints like via app).
as their workforce. touchpoints. 4. Implement AI/ML enabled CBM
capabilities.
Q. What are the key transformational Q. What does this mean in terms of required 5. Guarantee bandwidths and improved
changes that have taken place for capabilities and organizational needs? SLAs specifically for the small office/
Operators? Moreover, what will the A. As we said, telcos need to build or buy home office/consumer segment.
new sales channels look like and what know-how regarding both technologies as

About the authors:
Lovrenc Kessler, Managing Partner UAE Dr. Kajetan Zwirglmaier, Partner
Lovrenc Kessler is the Managing Partner of Simon-Kucher's Dubai office, Dr. Kajetan Zwirglmaier is a Partner in Simon-Kucher's Munich office. He
responsible for the company’s operations in the Middle East. He advises is part of the company’s global Telco and Energy practice and an expert in
market leaders in various B2C and B2B-focused industries on how to pricing, marketing and sales.
achieve profitable revenue growth.

About Simon-Kucher & Partners:
Simon-Kucher & Partners is a global consulting firm with more than 1,400 professionals in 40 offices worldwide focusing on TopLine Power®. Founded
in 1985, the company has over 35 years of experience providing strategy and marketing consulting and is regarded as the world’s leading pricing advisor.

72 JANUARY 2021