Page 28 - Optus Future of Business Report 2013

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Increase in use of
self-service options
Organisations are offering online
services that play to their respective
strengths and consumers are
responding by carrying out more
activities online at their convenience.
Nearly half of organisations offer
self-service capabilities today, but this
number is expected to rise to 62% in
three to five years. The availability of
online buying and payments will also
increase from 52% to 69% to respond
to consumers’ desire to shop and pay
bills in their own time.
Consumers are increasingly managing
a diverse range of self-service activities.
For instance, a third of consumers check
account balances online, the dominant
online self-service activity, while a
bit over a quarter pay bills. A fifth of
consumers update their account details
online, which enables organisations to
focus on higher value activities. A similar
number had either made transactions
(for instance, online banking), or bought
a product or service online in the last
three months.
Consumers also expect to be able to
carry out a wider range of online self-
service activities in the next three to
five years. The dominant activity will
shift slightly from checking account
balances (54%) to paying bills for 55%
of consumers. The biggest growth is
expected in activities that are not widely
carried out today, such as tracking
parcel delivery (13% to 42%), lodging
forms (14% to 45%) and making
bookings (14% to 44%).
Of special significance to organisations
seeking to sell more online, 48% of
consumers say they expect to be able
to purchase online in three to five years.
The growth of high speed broadband
may also play to these considerations.
Online’s rise to
dominance as key
fulfilment channel
Not only has online cemented its
role as a key marketing channel, it is
now used widely by more than half
of organisations surveyed to sell and
deliver products and services, while
supporting customer service and
care for 65% of organisations. Over
half of consumers also currently use
organisations’ websites to research
products and services, while a third use
them to buy products and services.
When compared to private enterprise,
government especially favours online
to deliver products and services and
provide customer care and support,
as reported by 79% and 75% of
respondents, respectively.
The view over the next three to five
years is split fairly evenly across the
functions, with organisations expecting
to increase the use of online for sales,
support and delivery. Seventy-five
percent expect to use online for
customer care, 69% to provide or deliver
a good or service and 63% to sell. A bit
more than two-thirds of consumers will
prefer to use online to research products
and services in the future and about half
to buy or receive those items, reflecting
the digitisation of products and services
brought about by online.
SELF-SERVICE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY CONSUMERS
ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT TODAY
54 55 53 42 48 44 42 45
ACTIVITIES CONSUMERS EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT IN 3–5 YEARS
33 28 21 20 19 141413
(%)
CHECKED
MY ACCOUNT
OR SERVICE
PAID
A BILL UPDATED
MY ACCOUNT
DETAILS
MADE A
TRANSACTION
(E.G. ONLINE
BANKING)
PURCHASED
A PRODUCT/
SERVICE
MADE A
BOOKING/
APPOINTMENT
LODGED
A FORM/
APPLICATION
TRACKED
THE DELIVERY
OF A PRODUCT/
SERVICE
CONSUMERS’ PREFERRED PURPOSE
FOR USING ONLINE IN 3–5 YEARS
BUSINESSES’ EXPECTED PURPOSE
FOR USING ONLINE IN 3–5 YEARS
RESEARCHING
PRODUCTS/ SERVICES
RECEIVING CUSTOMER
CARE OR SUPPORT
PURCHASING AND PAYING
FOR PRODUCTS/SERVICES
HAVING PRODUCTS/
SERVICES PROVIDED
68%
51%
47%
39%
MARKETING PRODUCTS
OR SERVICES
PROVIDING CUSTOMER
CARE AND SUPPORT
SELLING PRODUCTS
OR SERVICES
DELIVERING A PRODUCT
OR SERVICE
80%
63%
69%
75%
ONLINE SERVICES OFFERED
NOW (%) 3–5 YRS (%)
ONLINE
PURCHASING
AND PAYMENT
52 69 47 62
ONLINE
SELF-SERVICE
nearly half of organisations offer
self-service capabilities today, but
this number is expected to rise to
62% in three to five years. 35% 33% 41%
TO IMPROveCuSTOMeR
exPeRIeNCe
TO BuILdBRANd MOST COSTeFFeCTIve
moST cITeD ReaSoNS FoR USING oNlINe
oNlINe