Complex products often need a robust technology platform for prototype testing. Cloud-based system providers can meet the needs of global firms using algorithms to analyze complex usage patterns and can also test in multiple languages. Insurance provider USAA recently opened its own design studio in Austin, Texas, staffed with 10 professionals from different fields and disciplines. The goal was to look beyond solutions typically offered by insurers to create game-changing improvements in USAA’s CX. USAA members “don’t compare us to other insurers,” says Meriah Garrett, USAA chief design officer. “They compare us to every other digital interaction they have with Facebook, Google, Amazon and Venmo.” (Venmo provides digital payment services.) To offer a digitally competitive CX, USAA focused on self-service offerings such as on-demand updates on customer policies, payments, accounts, balances, and so on, delivered through a mobile app. The company also plans to leverage 12 machine learning and AI to gain deeper insights into what more it can offer. The best customer experiences are interactive and delivered through a mobile device. But the mobile experience must be consistent with the experience at other customer touchpoints. This can be a significant challenge, especially for financial services institutions. According to Forrester Research, banks are losing sales because they don’t help customers research or apply for financial 13 products on their phone. Making matters worse, according to Forrester, is the high level of 14 usability flaws in many banking mobile apps that make them very hard to use. On the other hand, USAA received Forrester’s highest ranking for mobile usability, as did the global Spanish banking group BBVA and Ally Bank in the U.S.15 CX Harmonization Given the proliferation of channels available to consumers seeking information, goods or services, a company’s CX and UX need to be consistent across all of them. A seamless multi- channel experience is no longer a nice-to-have; it is a must-have. Voice activated devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home now seamlessly integrate with websites, social media, online search and recommendations, and that’s what consumers want and increasingly demand. Providing that harmonized and personalized CX and UX depends upon having a single view of the customer that combines data from all interaction points. 12 Digital Insurance, Inside USAA’s Approach to Digital Design, February 21, 2017, accessed May 23, 2018, https://www.dig-in.com/news/inside- usaas-approach-to-digital-design 13 Forrester, Global Mobile Banking Benchmark 2017, July 13, 2017, accessed May 23, 2018, https://www.forrester.com/report/Global+Mobile+Bankin g+Benchmark+2017/-/E-RES137691 14 Ibid. 15 Ibid. 9