Just think, you are the client who wants the company to help you. You need to talk to several departments, you tell the same problem over and over, and finally, you become very upset and walk out of the situation. Unfortunately, this happens very often—it is the fact of faulty processes that have altered client experiences on a global scale.
Process Intelligence is the newest element in the list of products that improve customer experience. Although most businesses merely try to solve the surface problem, process intelligence does not stop until the most fundamental issues are solved. It is not a question of accomplishing tasks only but rather of accomplishing them better, faster, and more efficiently.
As we proceed in this blog, we will visualize how process intelligence is a crucial factor in getting true customer satisfaction. Further, we will demystify the relationship between process intelligence and business intelligence and present some insights on Process Excellence that can be utilized. Let’s dive in.
What Is Process Intelligence?
At its core, process intelligence provides organizations with an X-ray vision of their operations. It maps each step, each variation, and each bottleneck within real-time workflows, providing the ability to easily identify those inefficiencies that need to be addressed. Business intelligence analysis focuses on a history of performance and provides insights, in contrast, looking at how the work gets done, ensuring it is optimized and produces results.
Process Intelligence vs. Business Intelligence
To clarify the distinction between process intelligence vs business intelligence:
- Business Intelligence (BI) focuses on what happened—it’s retrospective. Think dashboards showing monthly sales or quarterly customer churn rates.
- Process Intelligence answers the why and how of things, tracking every move in a process in real time to expose inefficiencies that directly impact the outcome. Both are critical, but BI is post-fact insights, while process intelligence helps businesses to address problems when they occur or even before they happen.
Both are vital, but BI provides insights after the fact, while process intelligence equips businesses to fix issues as they occur or even before they arise.
The Missing Link Between Process Excellence and CX
Delivering exceptional customer experiences starts with flawless internal processes. Here’s why: behind every customer-facing interaction lies a web of interconnected workflows. Delayed approvals, redundant steps, and manual errors can snowball into unhappy customers.
Case in Point:
An e-commerce client was facing issues with returns processing. Complaining about the duration of too long for refunds, customers have been blamed for a reduction in their Net Promoter Scores (NPS). With the use of process intelligence tools we identified the bottleneck: refund requests which had been delayed multiple times because of internal approvals. As a result of automating these steps, the time for the refund decreased from 10 days down to only 48 hours. What was the outcome? A happier customer as well as 30% more purchases from returned clients.
How Process Intelligence Enhances Customer Experience
Let’s break it down into four key areas:
1. Shorter Response Times
Customers have no patience whether it’s related to customer support, delivery, or getting a refund. Interestingly, the use of process intelligence actually delivers companies to the point where they can recognize delays in their workflows and proactively solve them. For instance, discovering the recurring elements within the customer support tickets would simplify the process of answering the customers’ questions. Thus, agents could focus on more complex queries instead.
Stat to Note:
Research conducted by Forrester pointed out that a high number of customers, i.e. 77%, were more likely to spread the fame of a brand with fast and efficient services.
2. Personalized Interactions
Today’s customers demand personalization. Process intelligence equips businesses with insights into customer journeys, helping them predict preferences and offer tailored solutions.
For instance, a telecom provider could use process intelligence to analyze dropped call complaints and proactively offer affected customers an apology credit. This shows customers they’re valued, even before they ask for help.
3. Fewer Friction Points
How many times have you abandoned an online cart due to complex checkout processes? Such friction points often stem from internal inefficiencies. Process intelligence identifies these moments of friction, enabling companies to streamline their workflows and enhance the user experience.
4. Continuous Improvement
Customer expectations are always in flux, and static processes will not work. A process intelligent culture can be embedded within a business, as insights drawn from real-time monitoring enable teams to experiment, adjust, and enhance workflows in order to meet changing demands.
Process Excellence in Action: Real-World Examples
Example 1: Retail Giant Optimizes Supply Chain
A global retail brand faced delayed shipments, leading to frequent customer complaints. By using process intelligence, the company mapped out its supply chain processes and identified delays in vendor approvals. Automating this step shaved off two days from delivery timelines, significantly improving customer satisfaction.
Example 2: Financial Institution Enhances Loan Approvals
A leading bank struggled with loan approval times, frustrating both customers and employees. Process intelligence revealed redundant manual checks as the culprit. By implementing automation, approval times dropped by 40%, and customer retention rates improved.
How to Implement Process Intelligence for Better CX
If you’re ready to embark on your process intelligence journey, here’s how to get started:
1. Define Customer-Centric Goals
What does your customer care about most—speed, accuracy, or personalization? Let these priorities guide your process improvements.
2. Map Existing Processes
Use process intelligence tools to map workflows end-to-end. Look for variations, delays, and repetitive tasks.
3. Prioritize Quick Wins
Focus on fixing processes that have the biggest immediate impact on CX. For instance, reducing call waiting times or streamlining complaint resolution.
4. Invest in Technology
Choose tools that integrate with your existing systems or offer actionable insights. Look for platforms that offer real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and automation.
5. Create a Feedback Loop
Incorporate customer feedback into your process reviews. This ensures changes align with customer expectations.
Why Process Intelligence Is a Must-Have
Customers expect that an inconvenience-free customer experience differentiates successful businesses from their competitors. It’s Gartner that said most businesses, 89%, strategically compete in customer experience. And process intelligence is no longer an exceptional idea in a world so fiercely competitive.
From reducing response times to fostering personalization, the impact of process intelligence on CX is undeniable. And unlike one-off fixes, it provides a sustainable path to Process Excellence by enabling continuous improvement.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, every business is built on processes. The better those processes function, the better the customer experience. With process intelligence, firms can leave guessing behind and genuinely understand how they can better serve their customers.
But here’s the thing: process intelligence isn’t about efficiency. Empathy is making sure that we can create systems that serve customers and let them be on the most delightful customer journey they could ever have. The moment businesses model processes on customer expectations, there is a possibility of more than just loyalty: They start building relationships.
Then comes the question not “Why should we adopt process intelligence?” but rather, “How fast can we start?
