Digital transformation best practices according to leaders

are the priorities for your business in 2025? If you said, “improving our customer experience (CX),” then you're in line with 99% of global CX decision-makers who ranked it as a top priority in

Forrester's Budget Planning Guide 2025: Customer Experience

.

Leaders are focused on improving customer experience because it’s more than just a pathway to customer satisfaction — it’s a direct driver of business success. Technology plays a fundamental role in this improvement, but adoption is not without challenges. A report by Execs In The Know revealed that 35% of CX

ders identified legacy systems, tools and processes as the biggest obstacles to success. Additionally, many CX leaders worry about falling behind competitors in implementing emerging CX technologies. In fact, only 18% of leaders in the same report described their organizations as “very competitive” in this area. Outdated frameworks not only hinder efficiency but also limit an organization’s ability to innovate.

To keep pace with changing customer preferences, companies are continually evolving through digital transformation. Far from a one-time initiative, digital transformation is an ongoing process of integrating advanced technologies like AI and automation into every aspect of the customer journey. The ideal end result being empowered employees and effortless interactions that foster loyalty and support sustainable

.

Best practices for developing a digital transformation strategy

Every enterprise's transformation journey is unique, shaped by its specific challenges and goals. However, certain foundational principles can help any organization get started. Based on insights from CX leaders and industry analysts, the following principles act as a roadmap for crafting a long-term vision and navigating the complexities of transforming CX.

Engage a digital transformation partner

Digital transformation is a complex, long-term journey, and one that Rajiv Dhand, regional vice president at TELUS Digital, likened to a marathon in a TELUS Digital webinar,

. “It takes a whole lot of steps taken at the right pace, in the right direction and in collaboration with the team backing the runner, which spells success,” he explained.

One of the most effective ways to navigate such an extensive journey is by partnering with external experts like TELUS Digital. As Sharang Sharma, vice president of Everest Group, went on to share in the same webinar, “It’s not possible to do everything on your own, no matter your scale, no matter your size.” Sharma further explained that organizations often face challenges such as limited domain expertise, siloed legacy systems and a lack of orchestration capabilities. These issues can stall progress and make transformation journeys unnecessarily complicated.

External partners bring specialized knowledge, ready-to-use solutions and experience with similar initiatives, enabling companies to tackle these hurdles with greater efficiency. By working alongside external experts, businesses can ensure that every step in their transformation journey is informed, strategic and aligned with their goals.

Put your listening cap on

When embarking on a digital transformation, a critical step is amassing knowledge. A deep understanding of the digital CX ecosystem — its opportunities, risks and potential pitfalls — lays a strong foundation. Educate yourself and complete a “listening tour” of your company to better understand what tools are needed, where the gaps and opportunities are in the business and which internal stakeholders will play a key role in evaluating solutions and championing the transformation. Frontline staff in particular hold key insights into the day-to-day challenges and operational gaps that can hinder progress. By understanding the employee experience, businesses can build digital transformation strategies that benefit everyone involved.

The listening tour should also include customer insights, as they are the foundation for designing experiences that truly resonate. Surveys remain the most widely used tool for capturing sentiment, with 84% of CX leaders leveraging them, according to Execs In The Know. Survey efforts can be complemented with richer data sources, said Kory Laszewski, vice president of global sales at TELUS Digital in the same Execs In The Know report noted above. “Every customer touchpoint, across every channel your company leverages, is a source of essential feedback data.” Laszewski advises leaders to review customer support call logs, interactions between customers and chatbots, replies on social media posts and anywhere else customers interact with their brand to get a more complete picture of customers.

Take a problem-first approach to choosing digital CX solutions

With an overwhelming array of tools and solutions on the market, it's easy to fall into the trap of adopting the latest, most-hyped technology and trying to fit it into your organization. But as many CX leaders have learned, starting with technology often leads to misaligned strategies and wasted resources.

Instead, a problem-first approach is key, explained David Rickard, partner at Everest Group, in a TELUS Digital webinar,

.

Rickard advised that enterprises should identify the core business problem they aim to solve, then analyze its root cause and impact. This approach ensures that the solutions implemented align directly with your organization's specific challenges and goals. By focusing on business requirements, you design solutions tailored to your needs and select technologies to effectively bring them to life — rather than letting technology dictate the strategy. Done right, this method not only resolves the underlying business issues, but also improves customer experience, drives business growth and reduces costs, Rickard added.

During a '

podcast episode,

How can brands design and deliver seamless customer experiences?

Jim Mitchell, vice president of customer experience and digital innovation at TELUS Digital, shared a compelling example of using a problem-first approach when choosing solutions.

During a visit to a logistics company’s contact center, Mitchell spent some time shadowing an agent and noticed something concerning. “I remember within the first half-hour [...] the agent looks down and he pulls his drawer open. He's got these spreadsheets laid out in his drawer. And on these spreadsheets were the most commonly asked questions,” Mitchell recalled. The agent was relying on unauthorized cheat sheets because the company’s vast, disorganized knowledge base made it difficult to quickly find answers during calls. This workaround, though resourceful, revealed a deeper issue: The knowledge base wasn’t designed for efficiency.

TELUS Digital partnered with the company to address the problem. Using speech analytics, our team identified the organization’s most frequent call topics, summarizing lengthy knowledge base articles into concise, actionable content. The simplified information was integrated into the client’s existing chatbot to avoid any major IT disruptions and the results were significant. Average handle time (AHT) dropped by 19% and customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores rose by nine points.

Identify digital transformation ‘quick wins’

Digital transformation calls for the implementation of a wide ecosystem of connected tools and technologies that enhance customer experiences. This ecosystem spans customer support, data management, engagement and analytics, making the undertaking complex, particularly when legacy systems are deeply entrenched. Transforming everything at once isn’t realistic, but, according to Everest Group’s Sharma, in the webinar,

CX leaders can achieve meaningful progress by focusing on quick wins that deliver measurable impact while laying the groundwork for broader changes.

Sharma recommends starting with straightforward technologies like advanced analytics, automation, AI and talent management solutions. Focusing on these areas first enables organizations to gain experience, refine their strategies and build momentum before diving into more ambitious projects. Businesses leveraging digital CX interventions in this way can realize significant results, with potential productivity gains of 15-25% in cost savings, Sharma encourages.

For customers, these advancements translate into smoother interactions, faster resolutions and more personalized experiences. Employees benefit too, with greater efficiency and accuracy empowering them to focus on higher-value work. By beginning with high-impact initiatives, CX leaders can showcase the value of digital transformation and create momentum for larger-scale efforts.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with emerging technology

The advice to take things slow and not get swept up in the excitement of the latest and greatest technology when putting together a transformation plan is valid, but don’t be afraid to experiment with emerging technologies when the potential benefits align with your business needs.

Take generative AI (GenAI) as an example. Its applications in CX are vast, and its benefits are transformative. During the webinar, '

Sharma shared results from Everest Group research that highlighted how enterprises are anticipating GenAI’s ability to transform CX. The research found that leaders are expecting GenAI to significantly improve key contact center metrics like AHT (40% improvement), CSAT (20% improvement) and cost per interaction (22% reduction).

But implemting GenAI isn't about replacing existing tools; it can enhance them, said Sharma. For instance, with the help of GenAI, self-service tools gain advanced interactivity and natural dialogue capabilities; advanced analytics become more accessible, with GenAI offering predictive insights and streamlined reporting; and customer support processes benefit from GenAI-powered tools like agent assist for automation or knowledge base enrichment.

Voice technology is also worth considering in your digital transformation strategy. Powered by automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language processing (NLP) and natural language understanding (NLU), voice tech enables more intuitive, frictionless customer interactions. Multimodal applications combining voice, visuals and text create seamless experiences, allowing users to speak naturally instead of typing or clicking through menus.

According to a TELUS Digital survey, 81% of Americans now use voice tech daily or weekly, with 68% increasing their usage over the past year. And the integration of voice technology into CX appears to be a welcomed one by consumers, with 58% saying they would be incentivised to try brands that adopt it in their engagement channels.

By experimenting with innovations like GenAI and voice tech, businesses can uncover game-changing solutions that redefine their customer experience strategies. As long as experimentation is guided by clear goals and measurable outcomes, it can be a powerful lever for transformation.

Build a digital transformation roadmap

A well-thought-out digital transformation roadmap ensures that your organization is equipped to implement your chosen solutions effectively while navigating potential challenges. To create a robust roadmap, TELUS Digital’s Dhand — in the '

— recommends that CX leaders consider a number of questions:

• Is your team trained and ready for the transformation?
• Does your current infrastructure support the new technologies?
• Are the selected tools aligned with your strategic goals?
• Which projects should take priority?
• What does success look like for your organization?

Effective planning also requires a clear understanding of both the benefits and challenges of each tool you hope to implement. Take automation, for example. While it offers great potential for streamlining tasks and reducing costs, automation projects often fail due to unclear objectives or attempting to tackle overly complex processes too soon, said Nigel Devaraj, senior product manager of hyperautomation at TELUS Digital in a '

podcast episode,

What do people get wrong about automation?

.

Your roadmap should clearly define objectives, responsibilities and timelines, providing your organization with a unified vision and a structured approach to digital transformation. This clarity not only helps prioritize efforts, but also sets the stage for achieving operational alignment throughout the project.

Ensure strong operational alignment

An effective digital transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires the collaboration of multiple departments across the organization, including marketing, IT, human resources, customer service, operations, legal and more. By aligning goals and efforts, businesses can ensure smoother implementation, faster outcomes and a better return on investment. In fact, according to Forrester’s Budget Planning Guide 2025, organizations “whose marketing, digital, and CX teams are highly aligned report 1.6 times faster revenue growth than their peers and 1.4 times better customer retention.”

By engaging all relevant departments and fostering strong internal partnerships, businesses can create an effective, cohesive digital transformation strategy. “I think companies often stumble when they cannot unify under a common set of objectives or measures that really transcend their individual or department goals,” said Lori Branton, global vice president of client success at TELUS Digital, in a '

podcast episode,

How can you act as a customer experience change agent in your organization?

. “So the key is really around how we're compromising, collaborating and recognizing that this is really a shared mission, to move beyond any siloed objectives to a more collaborative customer-centric approach.”

Measure success

To ensure your new solutions are delivering on their expected benefits, you must measure outcomes to understand what is working, what isn’t and where changes need to be made.

Traditional KPIs like average handle time or customer satisfaction have long served as benchmarks for performance, but evolving technologies and priorities call for fresh metrics. In the webinar, '

, Everest Group’s Sharma outlined next-generation KPIs that align with today’s CX landscape. The KPIs can be broken down into three categories:

1. Customer experience: Metrics like customer effort score (CES), customer journey satisfaction (CJS) and customer retention rate (CRR) provide deeper insights into customer engagement and loyalty.
2. Agent experience: Employee satisfaction (ESAT), employee net promoter score (ENPS) and employee flexibility track how well your teams are adapting and thriving in transformed environments.
3. Digital transformation and optimization: Indicators such as digital self-service adoption rates, the digital maturity index and process automation rates show how effectively your organization is leveraging technology.

By combining traditional KPIs with next-generation metrics, you can gain a well-rounded view of your transformation's impact.

Continuously optimize

Just as people benefit from ongoing coaching and development, so do the technologies and solutions businesses implement. Regular maintenance ensures these tools remain effective as business needs and customer expectations evolve. Additionally, proactive monitoring can uncover opportunities to fine-tune processes, address inefficiencies and maximize ROI.

Moreover, with new technologies and innovations constantly emerging, organizations have ongoing opportunities for growth. To stay ahead, ensure you:

• Stay informed: Keep a pulse on industry developments to identify tools and strategies that could give your business a competitive edge.
• Leverage experience: Apply insights from past transformation initiatives to guide future projects. Success builds confidence, empowering your team to tackle more complex challenges.
• Embrace change: Foster a culture that values adaptability and experimentation, ensuring your organization is ready to pivot when opportunities arise.

Partner for CX transformation and beyond

The path to transformation can be complex, but the rewards are undeniable — stronger customer relationships, improved operational efficiency and the agility to seize new opportunities. While legacy systems and resource constraints may be hurdles in the process, focusing on measurable wins, fostering collaboration and regularly evaluating and adopting innovative technologies can help organizations drive meaningful progress.

With two decades of experience delivering digital customer experience solutions, our team of experts have partnered with global and disruptive brands to plan, implement and optimize their transformation initiatives. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or looking to scale existing efforts, we can help you create a strategy tailored to your unique goals and challenges. Contact our team to get started.