‘Put customer first’, says expert tech panel

TECHNOLOGY businesses need to put the customer at the centre of what they do, and never rest on their laurels, an panel of experts has said.

Speaking at Barclays’ Strategies for Success event at Lancashre Cricket Club, executives from retailer AO, Flowgroup, 3D printing specialsit Hobs and the bank itself, passed on their tips to an audience of entrepreneurs and customers.

The event saw the launch of Barclays “Driving the growth of the North West economy’ report. Click here to download it for free.

John Crowther, chief information officer (CIO) at Bolton-based white goods retailer AO – which floated on the main market in February – said the company’s technology is focused on enabling the business deliver the best customer service possible – AO offers same say delivery on products across 85% of the UK.

“We are devoted to happy in everything we do – technology revolves around the customer,” he said.

Mo Isap, a director at Liverpool-based Hobs, agreed this is a fundamental lesson. He said it would have been pointless his business investing £2m in 3D technology if no one wanted to use their services.

“You have to be brave though and have confidence in the technology – that’s what being an early adopter is about. We had to try an make it applicable to our customers – many are architects – so we could show them how the printers could express their designs in new ways.

“You can never rest on your laurels. you have to continue to invest and be focused on your environment.”

Giovani Suero, managing director of Flow Products, part of AIM-listed Flowgroup, which has invented an environmentally-friendly micro combined heat and power boiler for domestic use, agreed that businesses always need to be aware of changes in the market and technology.

“You always have to have some new products in development, or there is a danger you an become obsolete. One of the things we’re looking at for example is how do we store the electricity our boiler generates. It’s a disruptive technology.”

For Darren Earnshaw, IT director at Barclays’ Global Technology Centre near Knutsford, the continuing growth of mobile commerce will be a key trend.

He says the bank continues to innovate by launching new apps, and would also be lauching a technology enabling customers to scan-in cheques using their phones, allowing them to remotely pay them in to their accounts.
 
“Mobile has, and will continue to change the way we interface with our customers,” he added

All agreed hiring and retaining skilled, technical staff was a challenge for technology businesses in the region.