VOC conversations serve as sounding boards for executives

Vijay Srinivasan, Senior Vice-President, Consulting Services at CGI, shares how the CGI Voice of Our Clients (VOC) has evolved over the years to become an invaluable sounding board for clients. The conversations and insights help clients assess whether their strategy is aligned to internal IT and business priorities, and how this compares to industry peers. 

Time is precious for business leaders. Especially at the C-suite level, it can be a challenge to justify spending time away from delivering on business goals. At the same time, executives often are not afforded the opportunity to assess their business strategy in a pressure-free environment. 

VOC conversations serve as a confidential, impartial sounding board for business leaders to examine their strategy outside of their everyday mindset. As one executive shared, VOC is a valuable opportunity to “press pause” and step away from their everyday context to discuss their go-to-market plans. 

Clients also can compare their priorities with those of their peers (anonymously), opening themselves up to alternative perspectives. Additionally, VOC conversations can help reveal different perspectives within an organization. This is particularly relevant for CXOs who not only need to validate their internal teams are aligned with the overall strategy, but also are aligned with each other (i.e., by comparing responses from their own business and IT leaders). 

Macro trends highlight cross-industry business transformation

Beyond industry- or organization-specific findings, clients also use VOC insights to compare their priorities and investments against other industries. Especially when an executive’s role focuses on driving additional business, it is invaluable to be able to draw on and apply transferable insights to their own operations.

This year, while talent is still a key consideration, the economy and its impact over the last few business quarters became the primary focus.

Increasingly, there are commonalities across industries and regions that shape the way clients see themselves and prepare for the future. As digital transformation evolves, we see more and more industries thinking and behaving like technology companies. For example, a manufacturer focused on selling a car increasingly looks at the channels like a retailer, considering frictionless, omnichannel experiences for end-users. Similarly, we see clients looking outside their own industry to what others are doing in the payment space or with energy management solutions for sustainability.

VOC conversations serve as a confidential, impartial sounding board for business leaders to examine their strategy outside of their everyday mindset.

These cross-industry parallels extend to business priorities as well. Last year, for example, sourcing talent was a top priority globally. This year, while talent is still a key consideration, the economy and its impact over the last few business quarters became the primary focus for many businesses.

These macro trends are important indicators that transcend industry boundaries and drive insights-based discussions with clients about what’s coming next and how to prepare.

Data-driven insights reflect relevant human stories

Clients love that our data comes from our firsthand experience as a practitioner. The insights we provide them are not produced by a third-party research organization, but from our anonymized, data-driven dialogues with clients – their peers – who are facing the same pressures and exploring the same opportunities they are. 

Year on year, the value of the VOC to our clients has continuously improved. I’ve witnessed firsthand the growth in the volume and quality of data, as well as the considered preparation required to ensure that these findings are both relevant and useful for clients. 

Time is precious for business leaders. Especially at the C-suite level, it can be a challenge to justify spending time away from delivering on business goals. 

We now conduct around 1,700 VOC conversations annually. The level of analysis we can provide allows us to ‘slice and dice’ the data to understand the implications, from a regional perspective or a trend perspective, for example, and examine their business priorities from multiple viewpoints.

Time remains one of our clients’ top assets. Knowing this, we work hard to ensure that time spent with us in VOC conversations is not only justifiable, but actually delivers valuable insights to consider and act on when they return to their everyday operations. 

Learn more about how the VOC program can help you gain insights you can act on

Every year, CGI leaders meet with business and IT executives to gather their perspectives on the trends affecting their enterprises. These industry insights - including the attributes of digital leaders - lead to actions to best satisfy the needs of your customers and citizens.

Voice of Our Clients gathers our clients’ perspectives on the trends affecting their enterprises. Learn more about the VOC program.

More insights from leaders around the world

Several CGI leaders and experts around the world share the value the VOC program brings to their clients in this article series:

• Annette Trenz, Vice-President and Head of Industry Business Intelligence
• Christian Haeger, Vice-President, Global Industry Lead for Retail, Consumer & Services
• Christina Fung, Senior Vice-President, Consulting Delivery
• Coen Huesmann, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Dilip Nair, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Helena Jochberger, Vice-President and Global Industry Lead for Manufacturing
• James B. Peake, Senior Vice-President, CGI Federal
• Jamie Holland, Senior Vice-President, Canada Financial Markets
• Justene Ewing, Vice-President, Health & Care
• Karina Terekhova, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Kathleen Galvin, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Lorraine Joyes, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Mirjam de Groot, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Peter Warren, Vice-President, Global Industry Lead for Energy & Utilities
• Sofia Lindholm, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Tina Meadows, Vice-President, Consulting Services
• Veena Balram, Vice-President, Consulting Services, Banking and Financial Markets