The Right DXP for Software

Personalization and overall customer experience (CX) are top priorities for enterprise software companies — and for good reason. Experience increasingly drives purchase decisions, and without personalization, marketing efforts are often ignored or even rendered invisible. Achieving true personalization for superior experiences requires more than legacy methods; it demands more time and effort than most individuals or teams can provide manually.

That said, the fact that software companies exist to solve other people’s problems does not exempt them from addressing their own.

To deliver experiences that drive improved engagement, conversion, and retention, software companies must leverage:

• Actionable data derived from a 360-degree view of the individual
• AI/ML for automation, personalization, and recommendations
• Accelerated optimization of interoperable systems and CX

Case Study: SoftServe

The insights shared here stem from first-hand experience, as we acted as a living lab, applying our DXP solution practice internally.

SoftServe is a global company with thousands of successful enterprise projects completed to date. Delivering at such scale leaves limited bandwidth for marketing and CX optimization. Faced with a rapid growth rate and aggressive content demands, our global marketing team turned to our Digital Experience Platform Center of Excellence (CoE) to identify the DXP best suited to our company’s needs.

Our Process

Before selecting the right DXP, we needed to assess our current state to ensure it could support our plans for future-proofed marketing, CX, and personalization. With ever-increasing demands and evolving customer expectations, it would be short-sighted to choose a DXP solution based solely on present needs.

Know your strategy

During the discovery phase, the DXP team gathered stakeholders for a two-day workshop and posed questions such as:

• How will our business needs evolve over time?
• How quickly will the company need to scale?
• What is the anticipated volume of data to be consolidated and processed in real time?
• How many new channels are likely to be introduced in the future?
• What does our ideal workflow entail?

Software companies must map out the digital journey using the aforementioned situational analysis, combined with the answers to the above questions and others. Additionally, there must be a collective awareness of the need for expedited ROI to secure budgets for future CX development.

Know your architecture

In addition to defining our vision and critically evaluating ourselves, SoftServe needed to understand our existing architecture and identify the internal stakeholders who would form the primary user base. Before selecting a DXP, companies must assess what technologies are currently in use, who uses them, for what purposes, and how these technologies are interconnected.

Equally important is knowing who will use the platform, how it will empower the user to accomplish new and improved performance, and how customer experience will be directly improved by the DXP. Software companies must also consider what existing platforms and technologies the DXP will need to connect with now and for the future.

Choosing the right XP

Selecting the right DXP and configuration is a unique process for every company. The ideal platform should offer comprehensive features while remaining flexible and adaptable to support a company’s ongoing evolution and growth. By dedicating time to thorough research, companies can position themselves to make the best choice when selecting an experience platform. Key considerations include: How does the DXP vendor align in terms of size, location, and support availability? Are they experts in AI/ML or merely licensees? Are they actively investing in R&D? Additionally, it is crucial to speak with existing customers and review case studies and testimonials.

Cross-reference

An experience platform’s ability to enhance customer experience goes beyond simply checking boxes. When evaluating the right solution, companies must assess whether the proposed DXP overlaps with existing platforms, apps, and systems, and whether it offers true integration of web content, digital assets, and analytics. It’s not just about the features themselves, but whether those features are redundant or genuinely relevant to the company’s needs.

That said, if a DXP offers clear improvements or advantages over current tools and systems, it makes sense for companies to fully leverage its enhanced capabilities.

Prepare for success

Those who will be using the DXP must be involved in the discovery, selection, and feature ideation processes. At SoftServe, we are fortunate to have an internal Digital Platforms Center of Excellence (CoE). When it was time to determine whether a new DXP solution was right for our global marketing team, stakeholders from across the company participated in the discovery process.

No investment of time or money in DXP integration can compensate for a lack of inclusiveness, awareness, or proper training. To avoid the frustration and regret of overpaying for an underutilized tool, software companies must take a realistic approach to identifying who will use the DXP and proactively prepare teams to succeed with the platform.

At SoftServe, we are experts in software, data, and AI/ML. Since 1993, we’ve built a global team of skilled software developers and experience designers, making us trusted partners for implementing and optimizing the world’s leading digital experience platforms.

Let's explore how the right DXP can help your business connect with customers and improve results.