Customer experience, people, change, and innovation are the key pillars of digital transformation, according to Elias Saab, Director of Sofrecom Middle East. In an interview with Telecom Review, Elias Saab explains these four pillars and the importance of mobile payments in promoting financial inclusion.
What are the main pillars of digital transformation, in your opinion?
Today, digital is everywhere, leading companies to reshape their traditional organizations into new agile models while rethinking their business approach in an ever-evolving market. They must adapt flexibly to consumers’ disruptive behaviors to meet customer expectations.
Customer experience is therefore the first pillar of digital transformation: companies must first and foremost understand the customer journey and emerging needs before investing in technology. This customer insight should drive the investment strategy.
People must be at the heart of digital transformation. Leaders need to put employees first to enhance their growth and fulfillment. Companies that invest in their people and support their development will manage change faster and more efficiently, as each employee will feel part of the process. The key is to use technology to create meaningful experiences that connect people—employees, customers, and others—on a deeper level.
You can’t force change without including employees and providing them with a proper work environment and the necessary tools. Companies should embrace digital culture and help employees strengthen their skills to adapt to and succeed in this transformation.
Innovation must be the final pillar of digital transformation. Innovative thinking, starting at top management and spreading throughout the organization, is key to success. To achieve this, businesses must foster open communication, teamwork, and creative freedom. Innovation should fuel digital transformation in response to the evolving aspirations of customers.
One of Sofrecom’s areas of expertise is mobile payment. How does this promote financial inclusion? And how do you promote this type of service in the MENA region?
The digital sector benefits microfinance and supports both financial and social inclusion. The implementation of more favorable regulatory frameworks will allow the sector to keep growing. This includes reaching more customers in remote areas at lower cost, securing transactions, and improving transparency.
The growth of mobile financial services (MFS) makes daily life easier and helps households and businesses plan for long-term goals and manage unexpected events. Mobile payment secures and clarifies transactions, and if supported by government policies and enabling regulations, can easily become a powerful driver of inclusion and a key engine for economic growth and development.
For several years, Sofrecom has built strong expertise in the main areas of MFS: marketing and distribution, legal, partnerships, processes, organization, and technical solutions. With the support of governments, our experts share MFS best practices as tools for financial inclusion. We collaborate with and assist many international institutions in promoting and deploying MFS solutions in the MENA region.
Sofrecom is expanding. How important is it to grow your operations? Do you plan to expand into new regions in the near future?
Sofrecom established itself in the United Arab Emirates in 2008 to serve the Gulf countries. Since then, we’ve continued to expand our presence in the Middle East region, including Pakistan, Egypt, and more recently the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We strongly believe in our mission to build a connected world by providing consulting and operational solutions to our clients, helping them benefit from the expertise of our 2,500 consultants and the innovation of the Orange Group.
Our completed and ongoing projects in the region offer numerous opportunities. For example, we are proud to announce that Sofrecom has opened a new office in Riyadh this month to get closer to our Saudi clients and contribute to the Vision 2030 transformation program.
In 2019, Sofrecom will continue to expand by pooling resources and service centers from its key subsidiaries in Morocco, Tunisia, and Indonesia, supporting clients with international experts in their digital transformation strategies.
