Customer journey orchestration tools give companies the resources they need to map the customer journey and optimize every touchpoint with their target audience. With the right solutions, business leaders can more effectively anticipate and manage every interaction, boosting their chances of increased customer loyalty and retention.
The only problem is that the rising demand for data-driven CX tools means there are now numerous orchestration solutions for businesses to consider. Finding the right solution for your business means considering a range of factors, from the features you need to ease of use.
Here’s your guide to comparing customer journey orchestration tools in 2024.
Step 1: Explore Key Customer Journey Orchestration Tool Features
The first step in comparing customer journey orchestration tools is defining what kind of critical features you’ll need. Some journey orchestration tools focus heavily on mapping and offer a handful of tools for creating customer experiences, like email and SMS automation software.
Other solutions feature more innovative capabilities, such as website visitor tracking or AI analytical tools. Some of the key features you’ll need include:
- Data collection tools: At the heart of a customer journey orchestration system is the ability to collect, clean, and consolidate customer data. Your solution will need to be able to capture in-depth data, in all of its forms, from a multitude of communication channels.
- Customer profiles and segmentation: The right tools should also allow you to create customer profiles, or “segment profiles,” with in-depth insights into customer preferences, touchpoints in the customer journey, and historical information.
- Reporting and analytics: Reporting and analytical features in customer journey orchestration tools ensure you can leverage actionable insights about customer churn, retention, customer sentiment, and marketing or sales opportunities.
- Automation tools: Automation tools help you to “orchestrate” and manage the customer journey more effectively. These can include marketing automation tools, solutions for delivering customer service (chatbots), and process automation tools.
- Testing capabilities: The best customer journey orchestration tools should make it easy to A/B test your various sales, customer, and service strategies to help optimize CX.
Step 2: Consider your Existing Tech Ecosystem
Once you have a clear view of the critical features you need, it’s essential to think about the existing software and solutions you’re using in the CX landscape and how they should interact with your orchestration software. The best customer journey orchestration tools leverage insights from various environments and work seamlessly with current tools.
You may need to ensure your platform can integrate with:
- CRM and customer data platforms: While CRMs help you monitor data throughout the customer experience, customer data platforms go a step further, unifying information from every touchpoint into a single overview.
- Campaign management tools: Campaign management tools for marketing teams make automating various parts of the customer journey easier. When they align with your orchestration tools, you can create more personalized and valuable marketing campaigns.
- Contact center software: Orchestration tools that align with your contact center software can offer step-by-step guidance to agents during customer experiences, help transfer context between different touchpoints, and drive higher customer satisfaction.
You may also need your solution to integrate with your resource allocation tools, such as ERP systems and workforce management tools. Plus, you could look for systems that work with productivity and project management tools to improve workplace efficiency.
Step 3: Prioritize Ease of Use
When implementing new technology into your business environment, prioritizing ease of use is essential. The more convenient it is for employees to access your orchestration software set up automation, and interact with data, the better your return on investment will be.
Look for systems with an intuitive user interface that makes jumping between customer profiles, analyzing data, and creating custom reports easy. Search for systems that save employees time on customer outreach and marketing, such as low-code email campaign-building tools.
It’s also worth searching for customer journey orchestration tools you can adapt and personalize according to your business needs. Innovative software will allow you to create unique customer journey maps for each segment of your audience. The right tools could also allow you to create dashboards and visualizations that vary for each employee group.
Most importantly, the right tools should be able to scale and adapt according to your business needs, evolving with you and your team as you explore new CX strategies.
Step 4: Ensure Compliance and Security
One essential thing to consider when comparing customer journey orchestration tools is compliance. These solutions gather and utilize vast amounts of information about your customers, their behaviors, preferences, and buyer histories. This means businesses must collect and manage data according to compliance regulations.
Leading customer journey orchestration tools should come with features that enable you to mitigate data security risks, from encrypted storage systems to data redaction capabilities. They can also include access control features that ensure sensitive information doesn’t get into the wrong hands.
When choosing your software, ensure you can maintain complete control over your data and implement the right policies to keep the information you collect and use safe. It may also be essential to look for solutions compliant with specific regulations like HIPAA or GDPR.
Step 5: Look for Innovative Customer Journey Orchestration Tools
Finally, when implementing new customer journey orchestration software into your business environment, it’s worth looking for opportunities to innovate and evolve. Like most forms of CX technology, orchestration tools are constantly changing, implementing new solutions for data analysis, hyper-automation, and even artificial intelligence.
As customer touchpoints and buyer journeys grow more complex, innovative tools can help businesses optimize and improve their processes. For instance, AI and machine learning solutions can help companies pinpoint opportunities to reduce friction and increase conversions.
Generative AI solutions can optimize proactive outreach, increase sales opportunities, and improve customer service.
Comparing Customer Journey Orchestration Tools
Customer journey orchestration tools offer companies an effective way to optimize every crucial interaction they have with their customers. With the right technology, you can reduce operational costs, improve resource allocation, enhance customer experiences, and boost productivity.
Use the steps above to carefully consider each of the orchestration solutions available to your company today and make a decision that transforms your business.
