Digitalisation at Scale Vodafone Ghana IN ASSOCIATION WITH DIGITAL REPORT 2020
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Vodafone Ghana: Digitalisation at Scale 03
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VODAFONE GHANA
Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana and Angela Mensah-Poku, Director of Digital and Commercial Operations at Vodafone Ghana discuss the organisation’s ongoing digital transformation and the challenge of COVID-19
V
odafone is a leading telecommunications provider in Ghana. The organisation is a total commu-
nications solutions provider - mobile, fixed lines, 04
internet, voice and data - and the telecom firm of choice for many Ghanaians. Shoyinka Shodunke is Director of Technology for Vodafone Ghana. With a wealth of technological experience, he previously worked at MTN in various roles across Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda and Cameroon before moving into his current role in March 2020. “We’re a unique telco and are currently going through a transformation with a flavour and uniqueness of the Ghanaian market,” he explains. Shodunke explains that his firm has established three core, strategic pillars as baseline of operations as Vodafone Ghana seeks to transform from a traditional telco to a digital organisation. “One of those pillars is culture and how we behave on a daily basis,” says Shodunke.
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VODAFONE GHANA
“ The pandemic has accelerated everyone’s planning to attain that digitalisation and it came at a time where we were ready in terms of the practices we already had in place” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana “Secondly, we have to ensure that 06
to operation, and it came at a time
we’re building platforms that are
when we needed some sound check
transformative. Lastly, we’re driving
or simulation in terms of the practices
differentiation from unique capabili-
we already had in place. Our ability to
ties that are developed in-house and
transform our call centres and a move
engagement of ecosystem partners via
from traditional bricks and mortar
software engineering using platforms.”
customer service was testament to
As a result of the impact that COVID-19 has had on organisations
our digital journey and what we’re trying to do.”
the world over, Shodunke reflects that
Angela Mensah-Poku, Director of
the pandemic has acted as a catalyst
Digital Transformation and Commercial
for digital transformation.
Operations at Vodafone Ghana,
“COVID has been an interesting
believes her organisation’s digital trans-
situation to overcome across all
formation agenda is to deliver the most
industries,” explains Shodunke. “The
engaging customer experience.
pandemic has accelerated everyone’s
“We do this by blending the best of dig-
planning to fully embrace digitalisa-
ital and human interaction in a personal,
tion across all verticals from planning
instant and easy way,” she says.
E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :
Shoyinka Shodunke Title: Director of Technology
Industry: Telecoms Location: Ghana
Shoyinka Shodunke is a a dynamic, resourceful and strategic leader with over 20 years of diverse business experience, 10 of which have been at C Suite level. Shoyinka has worked extensively in numerous business verticals including but not limited to Telecoms, Consulting and Oil and Gas across Africa, Middle East and Europe. He has held a number of award recognized leadership positions which have led to significant ground breaking organisational transformation. He possesses significant skills and experience in Operations, Business Change Transformation, Strategic Planning, Risk and Compliance. He is a dynamic and solution-focused professional with a record of achievement and demonstrable success in delivering key initiatives, reliably managing multiple mission-critical programs and portfolios, provision of stability and management of business systems; establishing and building upon key internal and external relationships. He is best described as a ‘change agent’, a confident self-starter experienced in leading, building and maintaining strong organisational growth. He is currently the Director of Technology at Vodafone Ghana.
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VODAFONE GHANA
08 “Vodafone had already started our
instantaneously and in a personalised
journey of digital customer experi-
way and Mensah-Poku believes its
ence ahead of the pandemic. We were
introduction has been influential.
driving a shift in consumer behaviour
“We made TOBi the constant
before the outbreak. In line with our
across all channels during COVID-19
commitment to building a digital soci-
and this has been invaluable,” says
ety that improves people’s lives, we
Mensah-Poku.
employ new technologies such as
“The My Vodafone app is one of the
artificial intelligence (AI) to transform
many ways to excite and interact with
our customers’ experience and the
our customers. This was delivered
efficiency of our operation. We have
by young, talented Ghanaians who
a host of digital-led platforms, which
brought their expertise and creativity
include a machine learning chatbot
to deliver this ‘wow’ experience.”
and self-service app.” Vodafone Ghana introduced its virtual agent, TOBi, to automate contacts
Its unique and elaborate features offer a complete all-in-one solutions platform for our customers. This
E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :
Angela Mensah-Poku Title: Director of Digital and Commercial Operations Industry: Telecoms
Location: Ghana
As a Commercial Director and Managing Director with over 15 years of leadership experience in Africa and Europe, she holds a Masters in Information Systems. She is skilled in leading large teams through change and driving for results. Angela’s expertise lies in influencing large-scale internal transformations to capture revenue, profitability, digital experience and efficiency improvements. She currently serves as Director for Digital Transformation and Commercial Operations. Angela leads an organisation of more than 500 employees to advance the company’s digital transformation agenda, mobilise and deliver commercial and customer experience through our customer facing teams and deliver significant commercial results. Prior to this she was the Director of Vodafone Business and Managing Director of Vodafone Wholesale. Angela currently represents Vodafone Ghana on the Data For Good-Big Data Steering Committee a partnership including FlowMinder and Ghana Statistical Service, and is also Non Executive board member of Hacklab Foundation and on the Board of Women In Technology Science Engineering And Mathematics for Ghana. She is also a member of the UK and Ghana Chartered Institute of IT.
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“ In the market that we operate in, your ability to innovate is going to stand out and determine your overall position in the market” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana
unique app allows customers access
you talk about the impact of COVID,
to Vodafone services and is designed
our customers and ourselves had to
with the objective of empowering the
adapt and become more digital in a
customer to do more and manage their
matter of weeks. Fortunately for us,
accounts on the go. The app also inte-
we were already on that journey and
grates TOBi in its interface and so you
being on that journey meant we could
don’t necessarily have to go to a retail
introduce the My Vodafone app to
store for assistance.”
drive conversations and mitigate the
“Tobi is now taking on around 30%
pressure during those critical periods.
of all customer contacts to our experi-
Hopefully when we fast forward to
ence centre and is able to deal with
next year, you will see a very differ-
transactions and information,” adds
ent organisation and customer base
Mensah-Poku.
that aren’t afraid to embrace digital
“It runs on machine learning and Big Data and was something the team
because they had no choice.” ‘’We place the customers at the very
were able to implement in-house
heart of all that we do and this is what
that has managed to bring significant
drives our leadership in innovation.
efficiency and take our customers
Enabling our customers to interact
on that self-service journey. When
seamlessly and consistently with us, vo da f o ne . com . g h
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VODAFONE GHANA
“ Ecosystems require everyone to contribute to success” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana 12
when and how they want, is a promise and this is what differentiates us.’’
“The key area for us was around security,” he affirms. “When you trans-
Shodunke believes that one of the
form to the digital space, your services
key lessons learnt from the coronavirus
move from the traditional protection
was around ensuring cyber security
received from bricks and mortar, to
was prevalent at all times.
everyone having access whatever
approach with involvement of ecosystem partnerships and believes it’s a key driver to success. “In the market that we operate in, our ability to innovate and self-disrupt is going to stand out and determine your overall position in the market,” explains Shodunke. “Innovation is a critical success factor to us. Building platforms requires a deviation from how telcos have approached building products and services to using a nexus of forces to drive new business models and better engagement of our ecosystem to drive a two-direction model participation. Our three key pillars all come back to our culture of innovation.” The importance of developing key, strategic business relationships is essential to the long-term approach of most companies. Vodafone Ghana has established partnerships with Tech Mahindra, Raycom and Oracle that are particularly influential. platform they need to get the job done.
Shodunke recognises the value in
It’s vital to ensure there is good security
an ecosystem of partners to ensure
in place to avoid data leakage and intru-
everyone can play a key role.
sion to malicious use of your system.” Shodunke acknowledges the importance of adopting an innovative
“Partnerships are important in terms of where we’re driving the business now. If you take a deep look at vo da f o ne . com . g h
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VODAFONE GHANA
successful digital initiatives, they are primarily driven by partnerships, new ways in which actors collaborate to bring value. Such ecosystems require everyone to contribute and work to its success and to continuously innovate to keep it so. This model ensures a win-win. Driving innovation, rather than previous transactional models. Such partnerships are more about harnessing the full benefits of an ecosystem so that every partner invests in value creation.” 14
Shodunke points out that for a partnership to be successful, both parties must be working to a common objective. “There must be strategic alignment,” he says. “You must have
“ I would consider Vodafone Ghana as the top digital company in Ghana because if you look at our engagement tools, I haven’t seen any of those tools in the market by our competitors” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana
common goals and objectives underpinned by solid relationships.” With the future in mind, Shodunke believes his organisation is in a great position to continue to be a top telco of choice in Ghana and to expand in the country. “From a Vodafone standpoint, today
services go far beyond the native
we’re a telco company transitioning to
telco products of voice and services,”
a technology communications com-
explains Shodunke.
pany. We’ve redefined our strategy and objectives. Our products and
I would consider Vodafone Ghana as the top digital company in Ghana.
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There is no comparison in terms of cus-
experience whichever channel they
tomer value and experience to our My
use to contact Vodafone Ghana.�
Vodafone app, chatbots or websites. We are introducing more initiatives to ensure that customers get a seamless vo da f o ne . com . g h
vodafone.com.gh
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