Unified service experiences and generative AI (GenAI) are driving unprecedented changes in how industries operate, by integrating advanced capabilities to streamline customer engagement, operations productivity and agility. GenAI, in particular, is making significant strides in this transformation, enabling businesses to provide personalized, predictive experiences that resonate with both customers and stakeholders.
According to HCLTech’s latest Total Experience report, 64% of leaders are using GenAI to provide personalized assistance via chatbots that analyze previous customer interactions, purchases and other behaviors. These AI-driven systems leverage predictive capabilities to tailor content, services and products to anticipated stakeholder behaviors, make informed recommendations and conduct scenario analyses.
In a recent discussion, the Trends and Insights team explored these developments with Rakshit Ghura, Senior Vice President and Global Business Head for Digital Workplace and Unified Service Management (USM) Services at HCLTech, who emphasized how GenAI is set to become an indispensable tool for organizations.
“Generative AI promises a revolution that rivals even the industrial age in terms of its impact on people, businesses and the planet,” he said when asked about the most impactful emerging technology. The applicability of GenAI is likely to go beyond simple automation and efficiency gains as it has the potential to assess, create, implement, measure and optimize sustainable, carbon-neutral strategies for organizations, making it a crucial tool for businesses aiming to meet their environmental goals.
The rapid growth of GenAI, coupled with its broad applicability, positions it as a force across sectors and the immediate benefits are expected in areas such as maximizing employee productivity, enhancing collaboration, fostering inclusion and supporting global sustainability efforts.
Unified service experience: A strategic imperative
As businesses navigate digital complexities, delivering a consistent and cohesive experience across all touchpoints has become more critical than ever. HCLTech’s approach to this challenge is encapsulated in their unified service experience. Ghura explained, “It’s about creating a Total Experience that maximizes innovation, improves productivity, increases customer satisfaction and makes businesses more agile.”
Creating a unified service experience is a holistic approach that ensures every interaction, whether with customers, employees or partners, is streamlined and effective. By integrating various touchpoints into a seamless journey, HCLTech is able to deliver a consistent and satisfying experience to all stakeholders. “We call this journey Total Experience, and it includes four different aspects: maximizing innovation, improving user productivity, increasing customer satisfaction and making businesses more agile,” he added.
This approach is not just about technology; it’s about understanding the needs and expectations of various stakeholders and delivering solutions that enhance their experience. Whether it’s through innovative products or streamlined services, HCLTech’s unified service experience is designed to meet the demands of the modern business environment.
GenAI: Transforming Total Experience
GenAI is not just a buzzword at HCLTech — it’s integrated into the very fabric of their unified service offerings. “By leveraging GenAI, we can understand and anticipate the needs of all our stakeholders, providing personalized and predictive experiences,” noted Ghura. The integration of GenAI into HCLTech’s services allows for a more personalized and responsive approach, ensuring that customers receive relevant and engaging experiences.
He provided an example of how a global retailer could use GenAI to analyze market trends and customer behavior. This analysis could then inform the development of new products and services, tailored to meet the specific demands of their customers. Additionally, AI-powered chatbots can provide 24x7 support, further enhancing the customer experience. “HCLTech’s unified service experience is powered by GenAI capabilities, which can help create a symphony of experiences that satisfies the stakeholders and drive the business’s success in the 21st century,” he explained.
The application of GenAI in HCLTech’s unified service experience is not just about improving customer interactions; it’s about optimizing operations, reducing costs and enhancing decision-making processes through real-time insights. This comprehensive approach positions HCLTech as a leader in delivering cutting-edge solutions that drive business success.
Expanding horizons with ServiceNow
HCLTech’s recent partnership expansion with ServiceNow marks a significant milestone in their journey toward delivering innovative solutions. “This strategic expansion is a manifestation of our continued investments in delivering world-class GenAI-powered solutions to our global customers,” said Ghura. Under this partnership, HCLTech will offer consulting, design, implementation and managed services across various workflows, blending ServiceNow’s products with HCLTech’s industry expertise.
“By blending the power of ServiceNow products with HCLTech’s rich industry expertise, this partnership is definitely going to help global enterprises realize their cost savings and enhance cross-department productivity and boost user experience,” he elaborated. He is particularly excited about two key themes within this collaboration. “We are focusing on developing industry solutions across six verticals, including life sciences, financial services and manufacturing.” These industry-specific solutions are designed to address the unique challenges faced by different sectors, providing them with the tools they need to thrive in a competitive market.
In addition to industry solutions, HCLTech is building a comprehensive catalog of GenAI capabilities powered by the ServiceNow platform. This catalog is designed to help enterprises meet their cost agendas while becoming more resilient and agile. These innovations are set to redefine how businesses operate, providing them with the tools they need to stay competitive in a rapidly changing environment.
The future of GenAI in business
“Any customer conversation nowadays is incomplete without GenAI discussions,” he remarked. While last year saw much experimentation with this technology, Ghura is confident that 2024 will witness a mainstream adoption of GenAI capabilities.
HCLTech is poised to lead this transformation with the right partnerships and solutions, ready to help enterprises achieve their goals. “We have the right partnerships and the right solutions in our catalog through which we can help any enterprise meet their goals what they are looking for with the help of GenAI,” he concluded, emphasizing the company’s readiness to deliver on the promise of GenAI.
