Digital transformation: towards a digitally oriented and data-driven organisation

What it takes to make booking as easy as possible for you? Discover the power of a strong management vision, a streamlined work process, and long-term, open, and transparent collaboration between Landal GreenParks and iO.

Discover how iO made the websites and the personal admin portal of High Profile Locaties more manageable, findable and scalable. Read the case study.

With an efficient platform audit, our experts helped Ebema make the most appropriate choices.

Propane as an energy source was in need of recognition, by all who were living off-grid to be more precise. We managed it on behalf of gas specialist Primagaz, with creative 360° campaigns - both online and offline. Read the case study!

New technology, internet-of-things and proof-of-concepts. Find out how iO is introducing innovation at Brussels Airport.

Brussels Airport: In this case story, read how iO has become an extension of the airport.

Discover how we customised a business app that semi-automatically schedules the most efficient solution and produces quick reporting.

Our experts will help your organisation choose the right digital tools and platforms with a digital strategy. Find out how we can help you.

Support your organisation’s growth ambitions on budget with an in-depth tech strategy. Find out more about what iO can do for your business.

AI is more than a trend. Our experts are here to show you how AI can add value to your organisation.

Enhance your website's accessibility with iO's expert guidance. Discover where your organisation stands, prioritise accessibility, and ensure transparency. Build a more inclusive digital world today.

How will your organisation challenge the status quo? What role do you hold in a market where the lines between different domains are becoming less distinct? How are you going to shape a future-proof business model that ensures that you are still relevant the day after tomorrow? The challenges of innovation aren't so much centered around refining your existing business model, but about responding smartly to a dynamic market where the rules are constantly changing.  Therefore, innovation within your company remains essential: it enables you to tap into new markets, address new target groups and develop new propositions.  Unfortunately, not every form of innovation actually leads to improvement.  Our white paper shares 6 best practices for successful business innovation so that innovation does not remain a buzzword but delivers tangible results.  

Today, even innovation and transformation processes are highly subject to innovation and transformation. Uilke Duinstra, innovation strategist at the Utrecht campus of iO, is getting more and more questions from customers like: “We are a mobility company, but we also want to enter the energy market. How do we do that?” or “We are a B2B company, but how do we also become B2C?” More generally, it concerns questions such as “How can we develop relevant new services step by step, without immediately plunging into a multimillion-dollar project we’re not sure will work at all?” These kinds of issues, which show that domains and sectors are increasingly fading, require a new approach to innovation processes.

The time for digitisation is now - not later, tomorrow, or next week. At iO we have been telling this same story for some time now, and it continues to be relevant. In recent years digitisation has proven itself to be, and continues to be essential, the user is still central, and the growth of digital consumers has - as was predicted - only accelerated.

Not every innovation leads directly to improvement. As a company, when approaching innovation, you have to start the process by identifying the most important issues before you can begin to determine the correct strategy. But how do you identify the problems that are worth solving? And how far into the future can you reasonably predict?

Earlier this year, we launched the Opportunity Report: a collection of visions and insights from our experts to help you stay ahead in the new year. On 9 March, during our online event “Accelerating your business in 2023”, we brought these insights to life. One of the live sessions at this event was hosted by Uilke Duinstra (Service Line Director Strategy), who talked about ways to help businesses and organisations validate innovations faster and gain management’s support. In this article, we’ll share the key takeaways from Uilke’s session with you.

When you understand AI’s full potential you can use it purposefully. But how do you translate the versatile possibilities of AI into the specific context of your everyday business operations?

Every new era requires new fuel, and the AI era is no exception. Simply collecting raw data is not enough to effectively utilise generative AI – you also need to process and interpret the data. The vector database bridges the gap between data and AI, enabling valuable output and optimal customer experiences. In this article in our ‘Get a taste of AI’ series, you will learn how vectors work and gain the tools to apply them in your daily practice. The term “vector” may not be familiar to the general public, but its impact certainly is. Vectors provide more accurate results and recommendations in search engines and recommendation engines, improving the user experience. They add context and relevance, making the difference between a positive and a negative experience. But how does this work exactly? And how can your organisation leverage vectors for AI?

The rise of AI, shifts in the social media landscape, and the end of third-party data...2023 was, to say the least, a tumultuous year. But this year, marketers and their organizations are also facing significant challenges. Discover the six digital and marketing trends that will dominate 2024 and, most importantly, how you can successfully tackle them.

"Digitisation in Belgium is progressing rapidly, but not as fast as it could or I hoped it would," says Thierry Geerts, CEO Google Belgium. He wrote a book, Digitalis, about his vision on digitisation. He talks about how we can — and should — pick up the pace of digitisation.

According to Peter Van Hoecke (CEO Van Hoecke), the client is always central, especially — in digital transformation. By automating, accelerating, and rationalising processes, you help your clients save time — our most finite and valuable resource.

Steven Van Belleghem (partner iO) talks about the three main advantages he sees in technology and digital transformation: faster than real-time service, hyper-personalisation, and the ultimate convenience.

Creative concepts can elevate a campaign, says Tim Colman (Head of Digital Communication at Proximus). He talks about the importance of creativity at every stage of the customer journey.

Digital transformation isn't just about technology — it’s also about people. Joaquin Zschuschen, Digital Manager at KLM Health Services, talks about customer satisfaction and personalisation.

MediaMarkt is an omnichannel retailer, and that is a very conscious choice. Digital and non-digital channels flow seamlessly into each other, according to Yannick de Bièvre (Head of Marketing BeLux).

"With digital transformation, you can deliver added value to your customers," says Steven De Deyne, Head of Media and Production Competence Center Proximus), it in this video.

You can't do partial digital transformation, says Paul Smeets (CTO Cadac). In this video, he tells you more about his vision on digitisation.

The Carglass website is a crucial platform, but other channels — digital and non-digital — are also very important in the omnichannel approach. Giving a personalised experience to every customer, with content tailored to their stage in the customer journey. Dorien Gevers (Email marketer at Carglass) explains every stage.

The decision to digitise has to start from the customer, not from an internal, business perspective. That's what Leslie Cottenje, CEO of Hello Customer thinks. Technology can help improve customer satisfaction, but the human factor has to be central. She tells you all about her vision in this video.

Thinking about expanding your e-commerce activities? Your partner in e-commerce strategy and implementation - iO

Our experts help you launch new products and services that solve a problem for your target audience.

Developing innovation strategy is key for success in today's ever-evolving market. Together, we develop an innovation strategy to create more relevant value.

Conversational & community management is our way of forging a direct connection between you and your client, through effective targeting and creativity. Find out how we can help you.

iO helps you to turn AI into action. Discover our AI workshops & trainings to find the potential in your business.

Bring order in the chaos of big data with data management & data warehousing. The iO experts will help you on your way.

The dot-com bubble, the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine: crises seem to be coming in quicker and quicker succession. But for marketers, those crises — from local events in specific markets to global phenomena — also always contain an opportunity. In this webinar, Tim Karpisek, Business Strategist at iO, explains how you can find relevant growth opportunities in times of crisis.

Do you remember when ... the invention of the computer caused a seismic shift in the job market? People unwilling to work with computers were quickly replaced by people who were; and today everyone carries a laptop. Today the same thing is happening with AI. In this webinar, Rodger Werkhoven will share his passion for Artificial Intelligence and introduce you to OpenAI as a love brand.

Curious about the latest developments in customer-oriented strategies, AI, digital transformation, leadership, and storytelling? Our iO colleagues Jolien Struyf and Evelyne Berden travelled to Boston to attend HubSpot's annual INBOUND conference and are sharing their highlights in a bite-sized webinar.

As a CEO, managing director or marketing manager, you’re steering your ship towards the digital future. But here’s the challenge: how do you ensure you’re on the right course? Which aspects are thriving, and which ones need a boost? Register for our webinar and discover exactly how your company can move towards complete digital maturity. 

Digital transformation may be a buzzword, but that’s because it’s happening right now. Digitalisation has gained momentum every part of society and it’s showing no sign of slowing down. Consumers have high expectations and now it’s for companies to anticipate their digital needs. iO has the expertise and experience your company needs for effective digital transformation. Digitalisation is a mindset that has an impact on the entire company, from business operations and internal processes to marketing and communication. Customer focused and with a clear vision. Do you want to know more about the benefits of digitalisation, and how to embed it into the DNA of your company? Our experts have bundled their insights and experiences into an inspiring ebook that will help you prepare your brand for tomorrow.

Naturally, we consider digital to be the future. Do insurance buyers in Belgium and the Netherlands see it that way as well? Together with market research agency BUFFL we asked 1.500 insurance policyholders about their views on digitalisation in the world of insurance. The conclusion? A remarkable one, to say the least. Prepare to read all about in our exclusive 18-page industry paper, including interesting bits of context, nuance, and thorough explanations.

The digital revolution has profoundly changed the B2C market, and B2B soon followed. None of it happened overnight, by the way. In fact, the trend was initially slow to take off in the B2B sector. Today, digitalisation reached essential status in B2B for anyone wishing to stay ahead of the competition. Its secret? An omnichannel approach, the new standard for B2B sales.Today, B2B customers expect the same standards as B2C customers do in terms of access and service from self-service platforms and digital portals. They expect to find the right products, services or ecosystems across all stages of the customer journey. How do you manage B2C expectations in a B2B context?

AI language models, better known as Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT are hot. For some, they are a fine piece of pastime, for others an important tool to achieve business goals – not in the least for SEO and SEA. As they gain plenty of popularity, the complexity of the picture is also becoming clear, just the capabilities of AI. It becomes important to fully understand their potential, and their limitations, before you start working with them.

Trade unions play a crucial role when new technologies and trends emerge. But how do you ensure that your trade union keeps up with the expectations of your demanding customers, members, and users.

Globally, only 30 percent of companies successfully implement digital transformation. This is because digital transformation touches every aspect of a business: from people and processes to infrastructure and customer relationships. The key to a successful transformation is to pay attention to all these aspects - but that doesn't always happen.  In this white paper, we take you through five common pitfalls in digital transformation and give advice on how to avoid them. 

If you were to start all over again tomorrow, would you end up where you are today?    In the 2023 edition of Corporate Klooien, we worked with professionals from influential organisations to explore their ideal future scenarios. We examined how they can deliver value and determine the right priorities in their specific situations. We did this using our own Corporate Alt Delete method. 

Do you want to rebrand your organisation? Is an acquisition or merger imminent? Or do you want to improve your customer experience, and does this require an organisational change?  For these types of digital transformations, changing technology is often a challenging and crucial part for organisations of all sizes. Whether you need to upgrade the CMS system to a newer version, or you want to increase your innovation speed with a headless CMS, there is often one element that receives little attention: the content migration. Far too often, a content migration is nothing more than the last thing on the list, because it’s the technology that requires a lot of attention and budget, isn’t it? How complex can it be to lift and shift the content from the old system to the new? 

Corporate Alt Delete is a book that bridges the gap between two worlds within an organisation: Team Horizon, thinking in opportunities, and Team Business, focused on current results and business value. This book invites you to breathe new life into the old founding story of the organisation, enriching it with today's market knowledge and business capabilities. Why read Corporate Alt Delete?

In markets that are saturated with options and with customers that are overloaded with choices, it's an exceptional customer experience set will set you apart. A Digital Experience Platform can help you accomplish this - and we'll tell you how.

The 2023 summer holidays are behind us and it's time for organisations to set their budgets for 2024. And that is often a more difficult task than we would like to admit.   We wouldn't be iO if we hadn't come up with anything to help you with that tedious task... Get 15 tips to make your marketing and digitisation budget for 2024 smarterOr jump into the minigame first and collect gold coins in our virtual office building.

The 2023 summer holidays are behind us and it's time for organisations to set their budgets for 2024. And that is often a more difficult task than we would like to admit.   We wouldn't be iO if we hadn't come up with anything to help you with that tedious task... Get 15 tips to make your marketing and digitisation budget for 2024 smarter

Research demonstrates that companies that shape products and services, in a co-creative process with their end users, can benefit from as much as a 32% higher revenue growth than their competitors, over 5 years. It’s little wonder that Design Thinking — a solution-oriented methodology, in which issues are defined directly from listening to the needs of the end user — is gaining ground. Bas van Dun and Dylan Fanego, digital strategy consultant and UX designer at iO, explain: "Sometimes the solution does not lie in the app or website that you initially had in mind".

Many organisations have a firm grasp on the customer journey. They know the touchpoints and how customers move through them. But looking at it in a more in-depth way – how do we optimise processes and customer contact? – is not something many businesses do. Mostly because businesses don’t look at their operations from the customer’s point of view, but only from that of the organisation. The Service Blueprint takes care of that.

Developing new digital products and services in healthcare can take a while. And yet, innovation is very important in this sector where budget cuts are a daily occurrence. How do you develop innovative ideas for healthcare quicker, and test them to create solutions that get to see the light of day? In this article, we give you 7 tips to use straight away.

What troubles organisations these days? That’s what Kristof Bossuyt and Nina de Graaf (iO) asked a number of our clients. The result? Four challenges almost every company in Europe faces these days.

An idea is often the first step towards a better future, and it’s no different in product development. A backlog full of crystal-clear priorities – epics, stories, bugs, and tickets – is a wealth of ideas for the future. Having the time and budget to actually work all these ideas out is something else altogether. How do you validate an idea without risking a serious chunk of your budget? There are many situations where you would like to present an idea to your target group, just to find out whether it is financially feasible, but you can never be certain that an idea is worth the financial cost of testing. A negative result after testing can be expensive. There are industries that operate at such a scale that a 2% drop can run to the millions. That’s why caution is advised.

The composable approach to architecture is known for its flexibility, scalability and the freedom it offers. However, many organisations have to deal with legacy, are tied to long-term contracts with software providers or simply don’t have the right people and in-house processes. So how do you switch from a traditional IT architecture to a composable one? This article gives you a realistic insight into this transition.

Planning to improve your organisation's availability with a self-service portal? Great idea. Self-service portals save you and your customers a lot of valuable time. In this article, we share our tips for building a successful self-service portal.

A self-service portal is a great way to offer your customers better service and set up your sales processes more efficiently. We explain what a self-service portal is and what you need to make it a success.

An online environment to place orders, contact customer service and searching information is a given in B2C. Luckily, we also see an increasing number of B2B companies investing in these kinds of portals. We’ll explain what a B2B self-service portal is and what the benefits for both companies and customers are.

For organisations in transportation and logistics, it’s no longer enough to just get your shipments from A to B on time. Both private and business customers expect (demand) a top-tier service level these days. In this article, we’ll explain how a self-service portal can offer optimal service in the logistics industry.

Does your organisation spend a lot of time providing your customers with information and support about services? For example, scheduling delivery or maintenance appointments, contract management, changing customer data or taking orders? In most cases, these common interactions are all related to information that is connected to your services or products. And it is precisely these interactions that you can digitise effectively in a self-service portal.

In the beginning of this year, we launched the Opportunity report 2023. A collection of visions and insights from our experts to help you get the most out of the new year. On the 9th of March during the Opportunity online live event we brought these insights live to an interested audience to speak and discuss how to ‘Accelerate your business in 2023’. In this article, we’ll share the key takeaways of the presentation of Digital Strategist Tom van Mierlo with you.

In the beginning of this year, we launched the Opportunity report 2023. A collection of visions and insights from our experts to help you get the most out of the new year. On the 9th of March during the Opportunity online live event we brought these insights live to an interested audience to speak and discuss how to ‘Accelerate your business in 2023’. In this article, we’ll share the key takeaways from Raymond’s session with you - just a few of the many ways modern technology plays the part of enabler for digital transformation.

In the ever-changing world of marketing, it can be challenging for CMOs to determine the correct marketing budget. The economic landscape and technological advances in the marketing industry calls for a new approach to budgeting. In this article, Glenn Weuts - Head of Marketing Technology at iO, shares seven marketing budget insights, with recommendations for how to determine your budget for 2024.

Elevate your sales journey and maximise data efficiency with HubSpot's Sales Hub 2.0 and Smart CRM.

Digital transformation touches every aspect of a business: people, processes, infrastructure, and customer relationships. Most problems that arise during a transformation process often have their origins in one or more of these aspects. How can you be alert to this?

Exploring new markets, creating new revenue models, developing new products and solutions: there is consensus in most companies about the need for innovation. But guaranteeing the success of your innovation interventions is not a straightforward process. In this article we share 5 tips that you can use to increase the chances of your innovation process being successful.

A data analytics platform extracts data from websites and apps and processes it into actionable insights for your business operations. At the beginning of 2023, Google Analytics still had a market share of over 85% in our region and the choice was often an easy one. However, after a series of complaints and questions about its compatibility with GDPR legislation, Google Analytics is balancing on the edge of legality. Consequently, the following question arises: what should you pay attention to when choosing another data analysis platform?

How is it that only 30% of the companies are successful in adopting digital transformation? In large part because it affects every aspect of a business: people, processes, infrastructure, and customers. We walk you through the most common mistakes we see in digital transformation projects so you don’t have to make them yourself. Expert:Tom van Mierlo, Digital Strategist

In 2024, you will be less likely to make long-term investments. ROI has become a more important factor in innovation compared to recent years. We share ways that will help you validate innovations faster and gain management’s support. Expert: Uilke Duinstra - Service Line Director Strategy at iO

Companies are unaware of the enormous the cost of bad customer experiences. Out-of-pocket costs such as customer service are being pushed up, at a time when it’s becoming more difficult and expensive to find new customers.And this is happening while the brand credibility is declining and there is erosion in terms of new business development. In the video below, Steven Van Belleghem calls for more investment in customer focus, as a driver for a successful 2024.

Robots, chatbots, bots. Drie termen die erg op elkaar lijken, maar erg kunnen verschillen. Het zijn weliswaar alledrie technologische vorderingen in de samenleving, maar het is belangrijk om te weten wat ieder kan betekenen voor jou en wellicht je bedrijf.