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An often-overlooked competitive advantage in business isn’t your technology stack, market share, or even your talent pipelineit’s your leadership team’s customer obsession. As someone who recently merged marketing, customer success, and renewals under one umbrella, I’ve experienced how customer obsession can transform an organization. However, from the C-suite to entry-level roles, were all navigating complex responsibilities, deadlines and metrics. These competing priorities make it easy to lose sight of what truly matters to the business: the customers who make our work possible. By putting customers at the heart of every decision, regardless of the role, you establish a foundation that naturally delivers results. This is why it is so important for executive teams to champion this customer obsession perspectiveit empowers everyone else to do the same! Customer-focused leadership leads to customer-centric goals which leads to a truly customer-obsessed company culture. What customer-focused executive leadership teams do differently What does customer obsession look like in practice? The processes vary based on role as leaders address their own areas of focus, but here are a few examples to get the wheels turning. Customer-focused executive leaders: Spend significant time with customersnot just with friendly references or during sales calls, but with frustrated users and lost accounts Create direct feedback channels that bypass typical corporate filters Measure what matters to customers, not just what’s easy to track internally Reward employees who advocate for customer needs, even when those needs create short-term challenges These behaviors signal unmistakably to everyonefrom frontline employees to fellow executive leadersthat the customer experience isn’t just another corporate initiative, but the foundation of company culture. That all-important ripple effect When the entire executive leadership team models customer focus, it spreads throughout the organization. Marketing develops messaging that resonates with actual pain points versus staying laser-focused on internal product features. Product development prioritizes improvements that deliver meaningful value. Support teams receive the resources needed to resolve issues effectively. As I mentioned, I’ve experienced this transformation myself. After integrating customer success with marketing and renewals, we gained truly mind-blowing insight into the complete customer journey. This unified view enabled us to identify friction points that were all but invisible when these functions operated in silos. Organizations with customer-centric leadership consistently outperform peers in customer satisfaction, retention and lifetime value. Executive leaders who prioritize customer needs create an environment where employees feel empowered to advocate for those same needsthey set the tone for the entire company culture. Practical steps on the way to customer centricity Becoming truly customer-focused requires more than good intentions. Ill admit it, this is a big shift. It could even mean making serious changes in how the company gathers, analyzes and acts on customer feedback. So, yes, it can feel daunting but take it from me, its very doable and very worth it. Here are some practical steps to consider: Revise executive meeting agendas to start with customer insights Implement cross-functional customer journey mapping with executive participation Create direct feedback mechanisms between customers and leadership Redesign incentive structures to reward customer-centric behaviors In my experience, customer-focused companies take steps to ensure these practices are part of their leadership approach. They understand that competitive advantage flows from this orientationnot as a happy accident but as a direct consequence. The ultimate competitive moat Right now, products and services are undergoing rapid commoditization. Thats hard to keep up with, but I believe customer experience is the most defensible competitive advantage. An executive leadership team that understands this can make a massive difference in the companys competitive positioning. Again, this shift extends way beyond the executive team. When employees see that customer satisfaction genuinely matters to company leadership, their engagement and motivation increase dramatically. This alignment creates a (very rewarding!) cycle where employee experience and customer experience reinforce each other, building a competitive moat that rivals will struggle to cross. So, let your rivals keep focusing on internal metrics. That moat will keep getting wider as you build something stronger. Melissa Puls is the chief marketing officer and SVP of customer success and renewals at Ivanti.
Category:
E-Commerce
Figma prototypes have been the go-to for years. For digital product designers crafting clickable mockups of apps, this powerhouse design platform hasn’t just gained popularityit’s become the indispensable tool of choice. Nearly every app, website, or digital experience that didn’t make you rage-quit was likely prototyped and rigorously tested in Figma before a single pixel was coded. The platform’s dominance is no accident. Figma prototypes help product teams communicate direction, test early ideas, and align stakeholders around what’s being built. At design consultancies like ours, they’ve played a critical role in due diligence where we stress-test client concepts before writing a single line of codesaving countless development hours and budget dollars. All of that is important, because the first version of any design is usually wrong. It’s based on assumptions about what users want or how they’ll behave. And if you ship based on those assumptions, you risk launching a broken experience that tanks in the market. That’s why prototyping for validation has been industry standard. And Figma has been the undisputed champion in the game the past 5+ years. But with the blistering pace of AI, we may be approaching the end of the clickable prototype era as we know it. AI can do more Until now, prototypes were the fastest way to go from idea to experience. But new AI tools are starting to change that because they can: Generate user interface (UI) from a single prompt. UI is what you see and interact with on a screen, like buttons, menus, and layouts. Simulate logic, state, and user paths. This shows how a digital product would workhow it reacts to choices, keeps track of information, and guides users through different steps. Auto-populate realistic data and content. This instantly fills in a design with lifelike text, names, images, or numbers to show how it would look and feel in context. Create testable product flows. AI tools can do this without manually connecting screens, letting you quickly explore how a user would move through the product. Were not talking about wireframes anymore. Were talking about high-fidelity simulations that look and feel like real software. Tiny testbeds for behavior. And theyre being spun up in actual seconds. Instead of designing screens, were starting to describe outcomes. Were shaping intentand AI is helping us fill in the rest. This is not just a faster way to prototype. It is a leap forward in how we go from an idea to something you can touch, click, and test. But make no mistake, its not replacing designers. Instead, its shifting their rolefreeing them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on what really matters: understanding users, shaping strategy, and making sure the experience is not just functional, but human. Communicate a vibe, not visuals Theres a new term floating around in product circles: vibe coding. Its the idea that instead of specifying exactly how something should look or function, we start by telling the AI the feeling we want a product to evoke. For example: Make it feel luxurious and calm, like checking into a boutique hotel. Should feel fast, responsive, and trustworthylike booking a ride on Uber. And the AI? It generates an interface, interactions, even tone of voicebased on that emotional brief. Its not perfect (yet). But it gets scarily close. For designers and product leaders, this unlocks a wild new dimension: communicating vibe, not just visuals. You become a creative director of experience, not just a user experience lead pushing pixels. Its a shift from mechanics to meaning. From layout to language. But lets be real: The tools arent quite there yet. Theyre close. But not close enough to fully replace the fidelity, intentionality, and nuance that a designer brings to a clickable prototype. AI misses the thoughtful transitions. The user context. The subtle decisions that are often the difference between something that works and something that clicks. That saidit wont be long before thats possible. Designers will evolve We think well see a hybrid approach emerge where designers dont disappear, they evolve. Our predictions include: AI-generated prototypes to quickly test concepts and assumptions Clickable flows to align teams and create confidence High-fidelity design systems built after AI confirms demand AI copilots supporting live ideation, usability testing, and iteration Well move from building UI blocks to shaping systems and behaviors. Well direct the choreography of an experience, rather than drawing every step. Still, its time to lean in. At Crema, our designers are still using Figma, and were still building prototypes. But were also exploring whats nextbecause we believe in the power of using the right fidelity at the right time to move ideas forward. If youre leading a product team, this shift matters. Because the tools we use to test the viability of our ideas are about to get a serious upgrade. George Brooks is CEO and founder of Crema.
Category:
E-Commerce
The world of work is being dominated by the transformative power of artificial intelligence. We see it reshaping processes, driving efficiencies, and promising new levels of productivity across every business. And while AIs technical capabilities are undeniable, we must also recognize the enduringand even amplifiedimportance of uniquely human skills, particularly our ability to connect with one another. In this age of algorithms, fostering genuine human connection is not a soft skill; it’s becoming a core driver of innovation and progress. More than ever, employees want stronger relationships, a sense of connection, and to be seen and valued. In fact, according to McKinsey & Company research, the top reasons for quitting, as cited by former employees, were that they didnt feel valued by their organizations (54%) or their managers (52%), or didnt feel a sense of belonging at work (51%). Moreover, extensive research has found that workplace loneliness is associated with lower job performance, reduced job satisfaction, poorer employee-boss relationships, and higher burnout. Its vital for organizations to understand how human connection can benefit their businesses. AI and the human element The promise of AI is vast, analyzing data in seconds and automating complex tasks. Yet, this very power presents a potential paradox. If we are not intentional, AI risks creating intellectual silos, limiting our exposure to diverse viewpoints, and stifling innovation. The human capacity to connect, to truly understand and appreciate different ways of thinking stemming from various life experiences and backgrounds, is essential to spark innovation and tackle shared problems. The capacity and desire for connection is already causing a shift in AI usage. According to Harvard Business Review findings, the top usage of GenAI right now is for therapy/companionship, whereas just last year, it was for generating ideas. The power of understanding: Insights on connection Insightful research about connection is being done by academic researchers and nonprofit organizations like More in Common, a Workday Foundation grantee. Their two-year study, The Connection Opportunity, underscores a fundamental human truth: We are wired for connection. They found that 66% of Americans across all demographic groups feel they can learn something valuable from others who are differentand 70% of those surveyed also feel that responsibility. In a separate poll, they found that 82% of Americans either somewhat or strongly agree that our success as a nation depends on our ability to work across differences and a majority express an interest in better understanding one another. When we are working toward a shared goal, there are core values and shared aspirations that bind us. By actively seeking out this common ground and fostering positive interactions, we can all bridge divides, both in our personal lives and within our organizations. Feeling connection is not just good for our own wellbeing, it is also crucial for business outcomes. According to research, 94% of employees say that feeling connected to their colleagues makes them more productive at work, and over four times as likely to feel job satisfaction and half as likely to leave their jobs within the next year. More in Common has identified key “connectors”shared values and experiences that have the power to bring seemingly disparate groups together. These can range from a shared commitment to community well-being to ensuring participants feel confident they would have something in common with one anotherlike shared identities or interests. This emphasis on shared values and the active pursuit of connection resonates deeply with the principles we strive for at Workday and underscores why supporting nonprofit organizations and funder collaboratives like More in Common, the U.S. Chamber of Connection, One America, New Pluralists, and many more, is so vital for business and society to thrive. The elevated human: Skills for an AI-driven era Workdays recent global study, Elevating Human Potential: The AI Skills Revolution, delves into the evolving impact of AI on the workplace. Strikingly, our research found that while AI will undoubtedly transform how we work, it is simultaneously elevating the importance of uniquely human skills, like empathy, ethical decision making, conflict resolution, and relationship building. Our findings also confirm that employees are feeling a need for increased human connection as AI adoption grows, with 82% employees recognizing a greater demand for it. Lead with connection These studies all underscore a vital leadership imperative. As we integrate AI deeper into our workflows, we should be deliberate in cultivating environments that prioritize genuine human connection and the development of these essential human skills. This means creating intentional spacesboth physical and virtualthat encourage open dialogue, active listening, and the respectful exchange of diverse perspectives. Leaders should champion empathy and relationship-building skill development within their teams, actively working to promote thoughtful opportunities for human connection in our AI-driven environment. Ultimately, the future of innovation and progress will be shaped by our ability to harness the power of AI in a way that amplifies our uniquely human capacities, especially our innate drive to connect with one another. By prioritizing human connection and cultivating these essential skills, we can ensure that AI empowers a more collaborative, innovative, and ultimately, more human-centered future of work. Carrie Varoquiers is the chief philanthropy officer at Workday.
Category:
E-Commerce
U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on drug pricing threatens Roche’s planned $50 billion investment in the United States, the company said on Wednesday. Trump’s order, signed on Monday, directs drugmakers to lower prices of brand-name medicines to align with those in other wealthy nations. Analysts and legal experts say the policy would be difficult to implement. “Should the proposed EO (Executive Order) go into effect, Roche’s ability to fund the significant investments previously announced in the U.S. will be in question,” the company said in a statement. Roche said it did not expect the executive order to affect its business in 2025, and said it would continue engaging with the Trump administration and Congress. Roche in April announced it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, creating more than 12,000 jobs. It is among several drugmakers, including Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis, to announce large-scale U.S. investments in response to Trump’s push to onshore pharmaceutical manufacturing. Novartis, another Switzerland-based big pharma company, said on Wednesday it had no plans to alter its U.S. investment strategy in response to the executive order. “We are working both in the U.S. and Europe to advocate for necessary changes, including reducing the role of PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and correcting significantly low pricing in Europe,” the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters. “These discussions will take time, and we do not expect any changes to happen quickly.” In the U.S., drug prices are shaped by complex negotiations involving PBMs that act as middlemen between drugmakers and health insurers and have been criticised for inflating costs. In Europe, countries generally have public health systems that negotiate directly with manufacturers and keep costs down. Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly threatened to levy tariffs on medicines and his administration is conducting an investigation into imports of pharmaceuticals in an effort to impose tariffs on national security grounds. Maggie Fick, Reuters
Category:
E-Commerce
Results from Walmart, a bellwether for the U.S. retail industry, will offer proof on Thursday why the Arkansas behemoth is best placed to navigate the uncertainty from the Trump administration’s tariffs. Walmart is among a handful of large companies that has not either pulled or slashed its forecast. The company last month reaffirmed its annual forecast, saying “nothing in the current environment changes its strategy”. Since the announcement was made minutes before U.S. imposed a 145% tariff on China – Walmart’s largest supplier – investors will watch for any adjustment to the outlook and whether it absorbs any tariff-related costs or passes them on to customers. The world’s largest retailer has promised to keep prices low to keep its price advantage over competitors. Amazon.com, its fiercest rival, is also “maniacally focused” on lower prices and has encouraged sellers to move more inventory to the U.S. before tariffs take effect. “Many consumers are prioritizing saving money and stretching their dollar a little bit further,” Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe said. “They’re prioritizing what they need over what they want. So they’re trading into value-oriented retailersthat to me paints a very clear picture that’s conducive to success for Walmart.” With the U.S. and China pausing trade escalations on Monday, retailers including Walmart have had to deal with a month of elevated tariffs. Many stopped shipments from China and reached into their inventories to stock shelves. Rival Target, unlike Walmart, expects annual sales to be flat and tariffs to weigh on its results. It reports on May 21. Walmart said in February it expects profit growth to slow this year even as sales rise. It forecast adjusted earnings per share for the fiscal year ending January 2026 in the range of $2.50 to $2.60, and sales growth of 3% to 4%. At that time, Trump had imposed 10% tariffs on goods from China and 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada. “Walmart should be able to effectively manage the increase in tariffs, given its strong global sourcing operation, healthy vendor relationships, and defensive product mix,” Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman said. “Sales should be pretty solid and it feels like investors feel confident that Walmart will execute and operate in this environment.” Its U.S. e-commerce business will be in focus as the company has said the division will achieve profitability for the first time in the first quarter. The business has seen double-digit growth for 11 straight quarters in the U.S. and clocked 16% growth globally in the fourth quarter. It accounts for just under a fifth of Walmart’s annual revenue. The company’s paid membership program, Walmart+, is of interest for investors who want to see if it is taking customers away from rivals Amazon and Costco. Walmart’s stock has been on a tear over the past year, rising 60% to take its market value above $700 billion, and outperforming six of the so-called Magnificent Seven tech companies that led the market rally in 2023 and 2024. Only Tesla has performed better. For the first quarter, analysts polled by LSEG expect Walmart net sales to increase 2.7% to $165.88 billion and net income to fall 9% to $4.64 billion. “(Walmart’s) more favorable positioning relative to the rest of retail will probably become even more evident as the year unfolds, when the operating environment could become much more challenging,” UBS analysts said in a research note. Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Reuters Siddharth Cavale contributed to this report.
Category:
E-Commerce
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