Ask yourself as an organization one question : "With this action or change do I save time?"

Did the title trigger you? Take five minutes to read on—those few minutes might offer some insights and spark reflections.

My prediction : The winners in 2025 will be the organizations that "give time back" and embrace "TX". Will you be a winner?

Time is precious, and we can't get it back once it's gone. It's value is (infinitely) high

In today's fast-paced world, where we're constantly bombarded with information and demands, both customers and employees crave solutions that make their lives easier and free up their schedules. We all crave simplicity. For businesses, becoming known for "giving time back" can be a game-changer. It's not just about creating better experiences; it's about gaining a real edge over the competition in the long run.

Why “Giving Time Back” matters?

Nobody likes wasting time. For customers, this might mean dealing with complicated customer service or explaining their problem over and over. For employees, it could be struggling with old systems or doing repetitive tasks or manual data entry that prevents them from focusing on work that makes a difference. By removing friction, organizations effectively hand back valuable hours that can be better spent elsewhere—on problem-solving, innovation, and building meaningful relationships.

Standing out versus competition

When you can show that your product or service actually saves people time, you're offering something everyone wants. While other companies might be fighting over prices or features, you're giving people more of what they truly value: time. This approach resonates with customers, employees, and the organization as a whole – it's a win-win-win situation.

What's in it for customers? = unburdening/easy to do business with

For customers, saving time means things are simpler and more convenient. Imagine a system that remembers every interaction, so customers don't have to explain their problem multiple times. Or a well-designed chatbot that can efficiently answer the top three most common questions that prevents customers from wasting time in long queues. If they do need human assistance, they’re seamlessly transferred, ensuring they don’t lose momentum. The result? A frictionless journey that reflects respect for the customer’s time. The outcome : a more happy customer and studies show that happy customers buy more and buy again. It reduces potential triggers (moments of truth) of looking at alternatives.

How employees benefit? = Time to do what really matters

For employees, giving time back means getting rid of boring, low-value tasks, spending time on non-contributing sub-tasks, so they can focus on more meaningful work. New tools, easy to implement, like genAI (chatGPT, Perplexity, Co-Pilot,...) can help draft emails, summarize meetings, or gather research in seconds. This doesn't just save time – it lets employees use their skills and creativity where it really counts. Good customer management systems put all the information at employees' fingertips, so they're not wasting time looking for things. Over time, this leads to happier, more engaged employees who feel supported rather than bogged down by (digital) paperwork.

What companies gain? = Speed & Engagement & Efficiency

From a business perspective, focusing on giving time back can lead to some impressive results. Companies that streamline their processes and use technology to improve both customer and employee experiences are more likely to see:

1. Increased customer loyalty: Faster issue resolution and effortless engagements keep customers coming back.
2. Higher employee retention and quality output: When employees are free from repetitive tasks, their job satisfaction grows, engagement is higher and resulting quality of output increases. Finally more engaged employees are less reluctant to leave the company and we all know how cumbersome and costly replacing an employee is.
3. Faster innovation cycles: With time freed up, teams can dedicate resources to new product development, strategic thinking, and market expansion for example. There is time to prepare the future.
4. Cost savings: Less time wasted means fewer expenses associated with inefficiency, rework, and errors.

People, Processes, and Technology: The 3 pillars

Giving time back isn't just one thing – it's a whole new way of thinking. To really make a difference:

1. Change how people think: Encourage a culture that values simplicity and efficiency. Let teams question complicated processes and find ways to streamline them.
2. Improve processes: Regularly check business processes to get rid of unnecessary steps and make things more user-friendly.
3. Use smart technology: Take advantage of new tools like AI, customer management systems, and automation.

The bigger picture: The rise of "Total Experience" (TX)

Customer experience and employee experience aren't separate things – they're connected parts of a bigger picture what can be called "Total Experience".

When you focus on giving time back to both customers and employees, you're investing in this holistic approach. Happy employees are more likely to create great customer experiences. Delighted customers, in turn, generate more positive feedback and business growth. It becomes a positive cycle where everyone benefits.

How to start adopting this approach?

It’s straightforward. Begin by taking action and inviting your team members to regularly ask one critical question: “With this action or change, do we save time, do we give back time?”

If the answer is yes, move forward. If not, dig deeper—figure out how to reshape the action to create efficiency or consider removing it entirely. By consistently posing this question and rethinking processes through the lens of time-saving, you’ll naturally align decisions and initiatives toward more streamlined, value-driven outcomes.

Looking Ahead

As we move towards 2025, companies that successfully make "giving time back" a core part of how they operate – through better processes, people-focused design, and smart use of technology – will stand out from the crowd. They'll be the ones customers choose and employees want to work for. In a world where everyone's short on time, making life simpler, more efficient, and more enjoyable isn't just a nice extra – it's essential for business success.Remember, we can't get time back once it's gone. But by giving it back to the people who matter most – customers and employees – companies can gain a lasting advantage and unlock new opportunities in the years to come.

Let's see in one-two years : Will the winners in 2025-2026 be the organizations that "gave time back" and embraced "TX". or not? That we'll know by then?