From CX-Driven Innovation to Global Expansion: Paresh Shah on Steering Allied Digital in a Competitive IT Market

In an era where digital transformation and cloud adoption are reshaping the IT landscape, Paresh Shah, CEO of Allied Digital Services, delves into the competitive forces at play in the IT channel segment. In an engaging interview with Amit Singh, Shah highlights how customer experience (CX) has emerged as a pivotal factor in the race for success. From implementing AI-driven technologies to empowering teams with autonomy, Allied Digital is setting a benchmark for personalized service delivery in the global market.

Please talk about the current competitive landscape in the IT channel segment and how customer experience has become a key differentiator for success.
The IT channel segment is rapidly evolving, and the competitive landscape is shaped by factors such as cloud adoption, cybersecurity demands, and digital transformation. Companies that thrive are those that have embraced agility and are quick to adapt to changing customer needs. In this highly competitive market, customer experience (CX) has emerged as a crucial differentiator. It’s no longer just about providing a service or solution but about how we deliver it. According to a study by Gartner, 81% of companies expect to compete based on CX. For instance, we’ve noticed that clients increasingly favor vendors who offer seamless, 24/7 support and personalized solutions. This has led us to invest heavily in customer-centric technologies and processes to stay ahead.

What challenges have you faced in maintaining a high standard of CX, and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges we face in maintaining high standards of CX is managing client expectations across different geographies and industries. For instance, clients in the US may have different service expectations compared to clients in Asia. To overcome this, we’ve developed region-specific teams trained to understand the nuances of local cultures and business practices. Another challenge is keeping up with the rapid pace of technology change. To ensure that our teams are always ahead, we’ve invested in continuous training and certifications for our workforce. In recent years, we have expanded our presence across key geographies, including Japan, Brazil, China, and Mexico. This strategic expansion provides good coverage for our US clients as a nearshore service, mitigating inflation challenges in the US. It enables us to find suitable talent easily, provide good time coverage to our North American clients, and control delivery costs.

What strategies or technologies have you implemented to personalize service delivery and improve client satisfaction?
We’ve implemented several strategies to personalize service delivery. One key initiative is using AI-driven customer analytics to create more personalized service offerings. This allows us to anticipate client needs and offer solutions proactively. We also use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems integrated with AI, which helps us track interactions, preferences, and service history, enabling a highly customized approach.

Additionally, we’ve embraced hybrid cloud models to offer flexible, scalable services based on individual client requirements. With a strong technological foundation, we provide high-margin, long-term recurring revenue (typically 5-year) IT services. Our NOC/SOC and Global Service Delivery Center in Mumbai support companies worldwide.

How do you gather insights on customer satisfaction and act on client feedback to continuously improve your services?
To gather insights on customer satisfaction, we use a mix of tools including NPS (Net Promoter Score) surveys, customer feedback forms, and real-time analytics from our CRM system. We don’t just collect feedback but act on it immediately by holding post-project review sessions with clients and implementing changes based on their feedback. Additionally, our account managers are in constant communication with clients, which allows us to understand evolving needs and make adjustments before small issues become major challenges.

How do you identify the rate of and reasons for customer churn? How do you analyze customer support ticket trends?
To identify customer churn, we use predictive analytics models that analyze engagement patterns, support ticket trends, and usage data. A dip in product utilization, an increase in support tickets, or declining engagement are often early warning signs of churn. We also analyze support tickets to spot recurring issues. By examining these trends, we can address systemic problems, streamline processes, and implement preventative measures to reduce customer dissatisfaction. Digital Desk (formally ADiTaaS) is Allied Digital’s in-house intuitive enterprise service management for the performance of the digital enterprise, on-premises or in the cloud. It provides end-to-end visibility of all services delivered by different business units while automating processes on the powerful Digital Desk platform. Digital Desk is easy to configure and allows you to activate quickly while scaling to your business needs. With a simple and consistent approach, you increase efficiency, lower costs, and devote more time to innovating and delivering the modern, consumer-like, self-service experience your employees expect.

Digital Desk provides scalable workflows to manage and deliver IT-related services to your users all through a single application. This ITSM solution can help the agent’s productivity, resolve issues quickly, and improve user satisfaction. Also, powered by platform native AI, you can quickly accelerate technology changes view recommended actions for incoming tickets or requests, and drive self-service and automation through enterprise chatbot technology. The Digital Desk Platform also provides users access to ITSM via mobile or web-portal interfaces.

How are you training and empowering employees to deliver a high level of customer experience? What kind of freedom do you offer to employees to rescue a bad/negative customer experience?
We have robust training programs focused on soft skills, technical expertise, and problem-solving. Our employees are trained not just to resolve issues but to anticipate them. Additionally, we empower our teams with the autonomy to make decisions that can resolve customer issues quickly, without waiting for higher approval. For example, our customer support teams have the flexibility to offer service credits or expedited support in cases where a client’s experience has fallen short of expectations.

Our team undergoes continuous training to stay updated with the latest technologies and methodologies, enhancing our capability to manage complex projects efficiently. Regarding our customer base, Allied Digital is proud to serve a diverse and high-quality clientele, ranging from small businesses to large multinational corporations (Fortune 100), the Government sector, and smart cities, across various industries. This diverse customer base not only reflects our capability to meet a wide range of IT needs but also underscores our reputation as a trusted partner in the global IT services landscape.

A leading Indian multinational food and beverage conglomerate sought to streamline its IT operations across 22 plants in 10 states. The company faced challenges with disparate systems, inefficient processes, and a lack of centralized management, which hindered its ability to maintain operational efficiency and respond swiftly to market demands.

Allied Digital Services implemented a comprehensive IT infrastructure management solution, including:

The transition from staff augmentation to managed services with SLA-based support presented initial hurdles. Allied Digital’s team worked closely with the client to ensure a smooth migration and rebadging of incumbents, addressing concerns and maintaining service continuity.

The implementation resulted in: