At the Peru Gaming Show forum “Responsible Gaming and Omnichannel,” Mariano Sosa, commercial vice president of Plan A Technologies, explained why omnichannel benefited both consumers and the companies that implement it.

But not all companies are ready to implement omnichannel today, he said.

“Statistics show that, for example, in 2019, only 10% of the industry globally said and considered themselves as a purely omnichannel company, from an implementation point of view,” he explained.

But the truth is that its viability has different stages and a maturity cycle. Sosa made it clear that companies in the sector have to start small, understanding their staff, their strategy and their systems.

“You must assess what century they are in,” he stressed. “Because they must know if they are prepared and how they are going to start on that path of omnichannel.”

The stages of readiness for omnichannel

Sosa went on to explain the five stages of maturity of omnichannel. The first, he said, is zero omnichannel. Here are the companies that do not have any communication channels like Twitter, Facebook or other social networks or e-commerce.

The second stage of maturity are companies that are already beginning to have multichannels, implementing social networks to obtain data and a unique vision of customers and search patterns.

The third stage is more advanced. There we find totally open channels toward any client.

The fourth stage is all about channels delivered, in sequence, in sync, with seamless customer experience.

The fifth and final stage has to do with artificial intelligence, advanced technology and all the tools at our disposal to improve the experience.

Consumer demand for omnichannel and the human factor

Today the client is used to commenting, asking and doing everything online. Here, omnichannel is an ally, since it provides answers to clients in real time. However, he pointed out, two key factors must be taken into account: consistency and fluency, two concepts that are purely omnichannel. The coordination between online and land-based has to be the same, because, in the end, the concept points to a unique and unequivocal direction for clients.

On the other hand, Sosa said that there cannot be an omnichannel strategy without processes, which must be present “especially in the area of systems to be able to reinforce this omnichannel, and, once implemented ,it is used correctly .”

Artificial intelligence is a plus that can boost omnichannel. In the sector, the amount of data obtained from customers is very large for the analysis that is carried out. “Imagine this powered by AI, this type of study will not be lacking: this tool will be trained to carry out this task and from there cleaner and more precise information will be obtained,” he stated.

Finally, Sosa emphasized that the work team that is going to have direct contact with the clients must be trained, have the slogan of the applied strategy and must all be aligned with the concepts of the company.

“Because if any of the collaborators do not respond in a timely and appropriate manner, the entire channel strategy, all the technological investment and everything that has to do with that fluidity that is needed falls apart, and that is something that does not have to happen.”

This article was originally published in Spanish in Revista Casino.