New appointment spotlight with Director of Business Transformation, Rory McKeand

Improving customer experience

About two years ago, TSG began efforts to improve customer experience despite already having some fantastic people and processes in place. There was a strong feeling of responsibility to ensure TSG provides all customers with the best experience possible. This has continued to grow and develop over the years, showing no sign of stopping. 

Following several forward-thinking research activities, including 20 workshops led by members of the management team, TSG was able to identify key customer experience improvements and developments focusing on the fundamental themes outlined below:

• Process improvements 
• Compliance
• Communication 
• Culture
• Empowerment

From the information collected over a period of thirteen months, TSG spotted several patterns, pinpointed improvements and gained incredibly exciting suggestions to futureproof, develop and embed TGS’s established customer experience journey.

As with the nature of the beast, change comes with several challenges which TSG aims to overcome with the help of Rory McKeand, who has recently been appointed as Director of Business Transformation, a brand-new role created to oversee and implement fundamental changes. 

TSG Marketing Executive Kerry Liddell caught up with Rory to discuss the up-and-coming company business transformation and the conceivable impact it is expected to have on TSG customers.

Business Spotlight: Director of Business Transformation Rory McKeand

It’s a pleasure to get the opportunity to chat to you about the exciting new role you have taken on here at TSG. Before we jump into the ins-and-outs of the business transformation, it would be great to find more about your professional history? 

I’ve previously worked for companies including the NHS, NCFE & Sage. 

A big part of my role during my employment with the NHS was to digitise processes, one of which oversaw the transition from a paper-based system to paperless. 

This was a particularly exciting project to work on as I was able to see how the technology change affected large departments/hospitals across the NHS organisation.

Following my role with the NHS, I became Head of Projects for TSG. 

During this role I was able to implement fundamental changes to the way our projects run, including the implementation of project portal which will revolutionise the way we run our collaborations, affecting colleagues and customers.

What does the Director of Business Transformation role at TSG entail?

It’s a very broad role that will not just covering CRM but smaller incremental changes, streamline the way we work and improve customer communication. 

What was your take on being offered the role as Director of Business Transformation?

Being offered the Director of Business Transformation role gives me the mandate to make similar changes across the business. 

TSG as a business is ticking along nicely – we have good products and good customers, but there’s a lot of opportunity there. 

Being in a stable position gives us the chance to look at these fundamental changes and to allow us to provide an exceptional customer experience.

How do you envision the progression of digital transformation over the next 5 years and what impact will it have on TSG?

One of the projects we aim to roll out over the coming months is the voice of the customer, which is all about receiving feedback from customers on what we do well, their thoughts on our products and services and how we communicate that through TSG’s customer journey. 

Speaking about exciting and innovative projects, you have already hit the ground running with priority planning and considering how you will work with others around the business to ensure you deliver in your new role. But what we really want to know is if you have any more exciting projects up your sleeves and if so, what project are you most excited about starting during 2018?

There are 5 exciting projects due to start over the coming year which I envisage evolving over time.

A big one is of course the up-and-coming CRM project which I will be helping to drive forward alongside a dedicated expert team which has been specifically pulled together to work on the CRM upgrade.

This project is all about making the key, incremental changes TSG can make which won’t affect the way the business runs. But it’s more than just updating CRM – it’s about overhauling over 66 processes as part of it. It’s more than a simple software upgrade.

You mentioned practising what we preach, how important is it for businesses to follow suit when it comes to digital transformation?

Digital transformation isn’t a one size fits all approach. One solution which might work for one customer won’t work for another, therefore, we adopt a consultative approach with customers. It’s about using tools in a way that hasn’t been done before. 

Talking about the future of digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) being a hot topic, do you have any fun facts for the future of technology or digital trends to look out for?

As a technology company we act as a trusted advisor to help customers navigate complex technologies, so the customer does not have to learn from mistakes.

For digital transformation and emerging technology trends, always ask ‘what is my business problem? Will this technology solve it or is it just flashy/nice to have?’

It was great to have the opportunity to discuss key digital transformation topics and get an insight into what the future holds for both TSG and its customers.

Start a conversation with Rory McKeand

If you would like to know more about business transformation or how your company can get started on your own business transformation, please feel free to contact Rory directly via email: rory.mckeand@tsg.com or connect via LinkedIn.

You can find more information regarding Rory’s role on his Executive Profile.