Virgin Media: A customer focused digital transformation PROJEC T PARTNERS
How Virgin Media’s digital transformation means putting the customer first We speak with Sarah Golley, VP of Digital Transformation at Virgin Media, as she explains how a digital transformation is nothing without the people and the customers
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PRODUCED BY
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O
ne of the biggest impacts of the rapid and continuous evolution of the technology
landscape is that it has removed the traditional ideas surrounding customer loyalty. We live our lives through seamless and connected digital platforms, be it the smartphone or the internet, and this has created a sense of expectation. If a customer goes through their daily lives with a digital experience that suits their every need, why should their experience and engagement with a business be any different? “How customers want to engage with us has changed and is continuing to change at a fast pace, driven by the rapid adoption of technology. Customers of today are less likely to be brand-loyal and will leave if they don’t get
multiple types of people, from silver surf-
what they want and need. We want our
ers and baby boomers all the way down to
customers to find us easy to do business
millennials and Gen Z. We need to provide
with, and we want them to stay,” explains
solutions for everyone.”
Sarah Golley, VP of Digital Transformation of Virgin Media. “Customers these days typically want
So, how does an organisation go about providing these solutions? For Virgin Media, the key is having technology that
information to be simple to find and
is flexible and adaptable to changing
instantly available. They want to have the
customer needs. In order to have this,
option to have everything online, they
Virgin Media embarked on a digital trans-
want to self-serve if they have issues, they
formation journey, and brought in Golley
want to shop or deal with issues at a time
to spearhead this transformation in order
that suits them. We are now speaking to
to build an IT architecture that could
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“By flipping the narrative I have put the customer in the driving seat, not the technology” —
S A R A H GO L L E Y, V P O F D IG I TAL T R AN S F O R M AT IO N. V IRG IN M E D I A
cater to the customer demands of today
of digital transformation, without really
and those of tomorrow. As VP of Digital
thinking about why we do it and what
Transformation at Virgin Media, Golley’s
outcomes should be achieved,” she
first responsibility was to understand
says. “It’s often the case where you hear
exactly what the ‘problem’ was that the
of businesses enduring previous false
company was trying to solve. This, she
starts and missed opportunities, which is
feels, is ‘always the number one question’.
very common when any company starts
“It’s easy to dive into the excitement 8
out with a digital transformation agenda.
I spoke to other telcos running digital
victim to the excitement of digital trans-
transformation projects both within the
formation. With so many organisations
Liberty Global family and outside. I looked
the world over embarking on and cham-
at the challenges, the scars and the
pioning their own digital transformation
things that were really turning the dial in
stories, it can be easy to lose sight as to
a positive way.�
what your own transformation journey
One of the bigger challenges, and something that Golley alludes to, is falling
can and should look like. Very often we think that the key ingredient is technology, 9
but Golley is keen to stress that technology should never be in the driving seat. “Digital transformation is about people. It’s
Sarah Golley VP of Digital Transformation Virgin Media
about customer-centricity. It’s about focusing on actual customer journeys, how
Sarah Golley is the Digital Transformation
the customer can flow between different
Vice President at Virgin Media, a key
channels, rather than technical features
brand within the Liberty Global family.
and requirements,” she says.
She has been responsible for leading a
“It’s more than automation and data.
high profile digital transformation, which
It’s also more than setting up a website
has established new ways of working to
and having an app. It’s about putting the
create a future-back approach to journey
people first. Digital transformation refers
design, driving digital adoption, challeng-
to the way we as a business are chang-
ing conventional thinking and achieving
ing, increasing focus and keeping pace
unprecedented speed of outcome deliv-
with our customers’ needs, which are
ery. Prior to this role, Sarah has led large
changing fast as a result of their rapid
transformation and delivery teams across
technology adoption.”
Europe as part of Liberty Global’s central
The ultimate goal for Virgin Media is to make it easier and seamless for customers to engage with the business. To achieve this, Golley and Virgin Media are looking at each of the customer journeys in turn with the future in mind. This will allow the business to radically change those journeys, creating fully personalised, simple and digital first experiences. “We use customer journeys as the unit of change. Predicting the customers’ needs results in improved customer satisfaction and reduces churn,” she says. “In turn this will improve revenue and reduce costs. It’s a win-win for the customers and so for 10
VIRGIN MEDIA
delivery team
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Advisory | Design | Technology | Operations
www.nttdata.co.uk
Guiding Change with Purpose and Spirit
NTT DATA is a leading consulting and IT services provider. Whether it’s business transformation, safeguarding against security breaches, improving operational efficiency or driving new revenue streams we help organisations navigate the ever-changing digital landscape and deliver outstanding results. NTT DATA offers a portfolio of best-in-class consulting services and innovative enterprise solutions tailored to suit the entire life cycle of IT investment. Supported by our international Centres of Excellence, our team of local experts can deliver on a wide range of services across industries.
the business.” Through the creation of these future-fo-
very heart of its plans to achieve this. “It starts and ends with our customers,”
cused omnichannel journeys, Virgin
says Golley. “We have been improving
Media needed to adopt a different way
customer satisfaction by giving customers
of working and a new energy defined by
what they need, putting the control back
increased collaboration and fast-paced
in the hands of the customer. In parallel
change. The overall transformation jour-
we have been driving cost savings by
ney started with the aim to push Virgin
encouraging greater digital adoption.”
Media down a successful path to start
As it continues to follow its north star,
the digital journey, using intelligent-lead
Virgin Media has adopted a different
solutions and putting the customer back
way of working and champions greater
in control.
collaboration across traditional business
Virgin Media follows its very own north
divisions. Moving away from a traditional
star as a company; to grow through advo-
project-driven world, the company works
cacy, and digital transformation is at the
on removing barriers and works towards w w w. th e i n te r fa ce. n et
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common goals in cross functional teams. “With any transformation it is important not to disrupt the BAU business, so we started in an area that will bring additional value,” says Golley. “We started by creating a customer journey factory, creating future focused customer journeys, using digital tools that support a direct or indirect interaction with the customer (web, app, messaging) underpinned and enabled by the right technology.” As part of her role, Golley was tasked with identifying the problem and truly understanding the challenge ahead. Virgin Media is one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the UK, serving around 6mn cable customers and 3.3mn mobile customers nationwide. Trying to implement significant change across a company of this size is no small feat, something that Golley recognises. “It’s hard to effect complex change in a big company, bringing people on board with a new way of working, a new way of doing things. I knew it was possible and needed people to come on the journey with me,” she says. “Virgin Media did not have a digital transformation plan when I first started this role a year ago. There were digital services, such as the usual website and apps, but as a company we weren’t making it easy for customers to do business with us, and we weren’t making it easy for them to find the information they needed, which meant they were often frustrated and calling into our call centres.” With projects taking anywhere between 9 - 12 months with fixed deliverables that were difficult and expensive to change, and a few previous attempts at digital transformation in the past, Golley needed to have a board that was engaged and fully behind her. “Successful digital 14
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“There is no digital transformation rulebook… each company needs to find its own path” —
S A R A H G O L L E Y, V P O F D IG I TAL T R AN S F O R M AT IO N. V IRG IN M E D I A
transformation is not restricted internally
remove any impediments, to take leader-
only to the Digital or the IT teams, it is
ship decisions when required. To enable
impacted across the whole company.
a consistent understanding and message
This is not just an agile training plan and
we talked to the Executive Committee
a new process. It’s not just a project or
about how agile will work for us. This was
programme to be delivered, it’s a change
the first step because our culture was
in company culture and the way we do
going to start changing.”
things, so it was essential to have the
Successfully navigating a digital trans-
backing of the Executive Committee (EC),”
formation is a challenging and ultimately
she says.
complex process. These challenges are
“We had sponsorship from the CEO and
often commonplace from organisation to
COO and fortnightly Steering Boards so
organisation, but it is the way in which a
we could show progress and get help to
company overcomes these hurdles that
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proves unique. Golley can attribute the
“We empowered the cross-functional
success here to three things: a growth
teams, we left it in their hands to drive
mindset, empowerment and trust.
the future omnichannel journeys and how
“‘Let’s try it’ became my mantra,” she
they would be achieved. I prepared the
says. “When faced with differing opin-
EC and the leadership teams and told
ions I used a ‘let’s just try it’ mindset. By
them they would need to be bold and
working in an agile way we were able
trust us, and that they would need to start
to try out some ideas in small controlled
‘being comfortable with being uncomfort-
environments. If they worked then we
able’. We were trusted that we would not
would move forward. If we did not get
break the organisation, because we could
the expected results then we could
try new ideas out in a controlled way.”
correct the course and try something else,” she says.
Digital transformation is not a new phenomenon, but as Golley attests to, 17
successfully achieving a digital transfor-
will lead to people losing their jobs, as
mation is relatively new in nature. She
computers take over. This isn’t necessar-
puts this down to there being no digi-
ily true and if left unchecked people can
tal transformation rulebook, with each
be frozen in fear. The reality is that tech-
company needing to find their own path,
nology is actually increasing employee
based on what the problem is that they
productivity, increasing and speeding up
need to solve. Most notably, she feels it’s
some processes,” says Golley.
absolutely essential that while compa-
“We are nothing without people. People
nies can focus on what goes well, they
(employees and vendors) can make or
should also look closely at what doesn’t.
break a digital transformation programme.
“Every company will make their own
And people (customers) are the reason
mistakes. But we will improve the chances
we need to change.”
of success by learning from the lessons of the past and present, making sure we don’t recreate the same mistakes,” she says. “A growth mindset is always important, but as such it is even more so for digital transformations.” That communication proves fundamental when transformation naturally lends itself to uncertainty, which can lead to stress and anxiety. When facilitating a major transformation in any business three types of employee should be considered, each with a different role and potential impact; the people within the business facilitating the transformation; the people that will not be directly involved, but will create value in a different way and the people whose jobs will be impacted by the change, either directly or indirectly. “Some think that digital transformation 18
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VIRGIN MEDIA
Those vendors play a key role in deliv-
the foundation to be set and as a busi-
ering this transformation, as Virgin Media
ness, Virgin Media now works differ-
looks to redefine its internal processes
ently, bringing together real collaboration
and ask its people to work in different
across traditional business divisions by
ways, it requires the support and guidance
removing barriers and working towards
from key strategic partners. IPSoft and NTT
common goals in cross functional teams.
Data are just two examples of where Virgin
The customer journey factory will now
Media leverages key expertise in areas
deliver an omnichannel customer expe-
that are new and complex, such as trialling
rience, driving digital adoption and allow
AI-driven digital conversations and deliver-
Virgin Media to look at the future jour-
ing on the promise of agility.
neys, which will continue to evolve.
Ultimately for Virgin Media, this digital
Golley says that this new way of working
transformation is focused on the custom-
is “breeding a culture that is willing to try
ers of today and being ready and able
new ideas, empowering teams to make
to be there for the customers of tomor-
change happen”. The key to success-
row. Golley believes that the term digi-
fully making that change happen for her
tal transformation though, should be
can be broken down into three simple
rethought. “It implies that there is a trans-
ingredients that Virgin Media has and will
formation from one state and to another,
continue to follow. “It’s the same in tele-
that there’s an end,” she says. “People
coms as in any other industry,” she says.
are constantly changing, the landscape
“Put the customer front and centre and
will shift. This is not something you can
give the customer the control. Don’t make
do and then walk away from. I prefer to
the mistake by thinking that this is a tech-
use the term digital evolution, driving the
nically-led transformation and make small
continuous change needed to keep our
micro-changes and test the impact as you
DNA consistently relevant.”
go. I think we should continue to live by
This first digital evolution has allowed
that mantra; ‘let’s just try it’.”
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