The Human Experience roadmap
At Forsta we begin with the premise that behind every data point is a person, a real human being.
You need to get closer to them to fully understand their experiences, really see who they are, better respond to their needs, and build genuine lasting relationships with them.
The future of technology will transcend silos, build a fuller, richer picture of your customers, and genuinely bring you closer to them.
That future is here today. We call it Human Experience.
HX involves understanding customers from all angles, all the time. It’s making use of all the sources of data and insight in your business.
It’s about everyone in your business really knowing the customer in the round. And it’s helping translate data, insight, and empathy into stories that fuel action for growth.
This is what smart leaders and decision-makers are looking for: complete, human-centered insight, across every business function, so they can get closer to the customer and make better choices for today—and for the future.
HX comprises methods that are both broad (quantitative measures from thousands or millions of people) and deep (qualitative richness based on individuals or small groups).
The tools also combine approaches for several disciplines: market research, CX and Employee Experience, UX research, digital analytics and others
HX roadmap
At Forsta, we believe that seven related capabilities are the keys to unlocking Human Experience Insights.
Observe
How and why
Observing how people act in an environment has long been a staple of academic research
In recent years, these methods have gained wider adoption in commercial research as the limitations of direct questioning – in surveys, interviews or focus groups – have become apparent. People don’t always respond to surveys; when they do, they may not recall experiences accurately; and various biases influence their answers.
Now, with abundant data and lower cost collection methods, Insights and Experience teams have access to a far broader range of ‘observational’ data.
This includes:
- In-store or in-home video
- Screen recordings of website or app usage
- Behavioral, CRM or e-commerce data
- Social, search and reviews data
- Website analytics and passive device activity
Incorporating observed and behavioral data is a core feature of the Human Experience roadmap.
The Forsta difference
Our platform supports all types of behavioral and observed data, both qualitative and quantitative: from video observations of small groups to predictive analytics using millions of customer data points.
Forsta’s centralized data hub is a source-agnostic, open integration layer that enables any external data source to be connected and analyzed alongside feedback data.
Advanced analytics capabilities support very large structured and unstructured data sets, including proprietary Text Analytics models built for specific industries and geographies.
Converse
How and why
Behavioral data may be rich and broad; but research will always need direct feedback from people.
Asking questions, monitoring feedback, exploring issues in qualitative discussions: surveys and focus groups remain an essential element of understanding the human experience.
The key is to design experience and research programs with modern feedback tools, polished interfaces and the ability for participants to respond on their terms: whenever they want, wherever they are, on the devices they choose.
FedEx – Harmonized human insights
As a global leader in logistics, FedEx needs a comprehensive view of its customer experience. Starting with its vast retail network, FedEx is rolling out a transformational CX program with a fully integrated digital approach. It features closed loop, auto loop and analytics tools for action planning at strategic and tactical levels.
The Forsta difference
Every year, over 300 million surveys are completed on our technology.
Feedback can be captured online, over the phone or face-to-face with a wide range of engaging designs and format options to ensure maximum response rates; and AI-based tools speed up survey creation with predictive suggestions for templates.
The Forsta qualitative suite includes online focus groups, live streaming of in-person discussions and ‘day in the life’ storytelling mobile apps.
Empathize
How and why
Empathy is a critical feature of the Human Experience roadmap.
In recent years, there has been growing appreciation of the role played by emotion in shaping decisions. The concept of ‘System 1’ thinking from Behavioral Economics and neuroscience-led advances in understanding the human brain have also highlighted the need to use implicit and emotional measures in research and insights programs.
Advances in AI and sensor technology are making these techniques more widely available; they include biometrics and facial expression analysis; eye tracking; heart rate measurement; and emerging approaches that infer emotional states from indirect observations.
HX is designed for us to understand better and in the round at both the group and the individual levels.
At the heart of HX is the ambition to improve empathy among businesses for their audiences so they can grow closer to them, better respond to their needs and build firm and lasting relationships.
The Forsta difference
At Forsta, we continually explore the latest advances in implicit research methods and Artificial Intelligence to improve our software.
Our platform includes many specialist capabilities for emotion recognition.
Vocal tone analysis can be applied to online focus groups or to call center recordings. Facial coding or eye tracking technology can be embedded in surveys to measure emotional responses to media. Eye tracking can be enabled in online qualitative research
Connect
How and why
Future-proofed technology for Insights and Experience is underpinned by frictionless data flows, open architecture and easy integrations with other software and data sources.
Such open ecosystems are founded on a strong ‘base layer’ into which a wide range of technologies can seamlessly connect: survey platforms, CRM, HR systems, social and sales data.
And connected data is more powerful. It means less duplicated work between different teams. It reveals more patterns about people. It provides richer opportunities for predictive modeling.
80% of Forsta’s clients agree that comprehensive data integration means they get a fuller view of their customers.
The Forsta difference
The Forsta platform’s integration layer, its centralized data hub, is truly source-agnostic: any data source can be connected to it.
Put your e-commerce store data alongside your call center feedback; your qualitative interviews and videos together with all your survey responses.
Find themes that matter by combining multiple channels: online reviews, call transcripts, open-ended feedback and social media posts. Analyze behavioral data with customer feedback—whether that comes from the Forsta survey engine or third-party providers.
Transformed, analyzed or summarized data connects to the tools you use in your organization’s native environment, allowing your team keep working in their own systems: Salesforce, Slack, Zendesk, BI reporting tools and many more. And we know things change. Our platform has the flexibility to adapt over time as your business, systems and needs evolve
Predict
How and why
Predictive analytics is an essential capability for modern Experience and Insights teams.
Patterns are identified from behavioral and feedback data to uncover relationships, find associations and help forecast trends.
Sophisticated models help to anticipate and fight churn, identify cross-sell and up-sell opportunities, and find customer segments or patterns of behavior to drive new product and service development.
Predictive analytics also helps with tactical resource allocation such as call center staff planning. If you can forecast the need for customer support more accurately, you can ensure enough team members are online for peaks in demand whilst avoiding the cost of over-capacity when demand is lower.
MARS – growing human capital
To help develop a pipeline of great leaders, Mars created a tailored platform to identify the strengths and blind spots of internal candidates. The system combined self-assessment, 360 degree peer review and manager feedback. Following the roll-out, 17% of participants were promoted to Sales Director—roles which would previously have been hired externally
The Forsta difference
The Forsta platform has highly advanced machine learning capabilities. It combines signals from feedback, sentiment analysis, reviews, Customer Effort Scores and many other inputs to predict at-risk customers or segments and recommend remedial actions.
‘Lookalike’ models generate predictive NPS results for cohort groups of customers or staff. Next Best Actions (NBX) identify the optimum strategy for individual customers based on historical outcomes.
Front line managers can also benefit from these tools. Call center managers, for example, can run ‘What If’ simulations to model the impact of specific improvements in the way that call handlers respond to customer queries.
Inspire
How and why
Experience and Insights teams have one overarching objective: to understand people in order to inspire action.
Inspiring action amongst colleagues and stakeholder teams is no longer a question of simply delivering reports or KPIs.
It’s a battle for attention, and internal audiences need to be engaged in the insights if they are to act on them.
Storytelling, data visualization and high impact reporting are all now essential components of the Insights and Experience toolbox
Heathrow – compelling data stories
Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, surveys 500,000 of its 80 million passengers every year. Heathrow’s Insights team uses dashboards and analytics to process all this feedback quickly, connect it with vast amounts of behavioral data and empower stakeholders to find KPIs, patterns and human insights instantly
The Forsta difference
At Forsta, we understand the power of storytelling in visual form.Data visualizations are a proven method for attracting more attention, stimulating more emotion and triggering more action than flat, fact-based reporting alone.Our data visualization platform has the industry’s most customizable and creative studio dashboards for distribution of data and insights.The Forsta Go smartphone app puts dashboards and curated comments in the pockets of executives and operational teams.Our qualitative reporting, with video highlights and showreels, adds human depth to our data stories.And we know how these tools work for engaging stakeholder audiences: each month, more than 20,000 people access stories and visualize data with them.
Act
How and why
Driving action goes beyond inspiring stakeholders and decision-makers to trigger outcomes or resolve problems.
It involves automating specific tasks natively in team workflows, on the frontline and tailored to specific individuals.
A very low NPS score may automatically send the customer an apology email with a discount code.
Training tips may be automatically sent by email to a customer support representative who fails to meet satisfaction benchmarks.
Complaints expressed in an online review may be flagged to the relevant store manager for follow up.
There are also other types of closed-loop actions that can generate more strategic or growth-based outcomes.
Product feature requests can feed into the new product innovation process. Positive comments from promoters can be used in marketing collateral. And on occasions, immediate sales opportunities can be identified and routed to account teams to follow up
The Forsta difference
The Forsta platform helps organizations take action at both the strategic and tactical level, and it can flex to accommodate even the most complex structures and hierarchies.
Our innovation software helps to crowdsource and rank new product or service ideas from the most informed groups —whether they be customers, employees or other stakeholders.
With prescriptive analytics and an industry-leading workflow engine to manage closed loop outputs and strategic action plans, the platform provides fast and automated resolution of issues.
Targeted interventions. Quick responses to problems. Training tips for individual team members. The Forsta platform activates human-centered insight right at the frontline to improve the experiences of your customers and your team.
Related resources
The research agency’s AI efficiency playbook
The research agency’s AI efficiency playbook The research agency’s AI efficiency playbook The rise of AI has led to a surge of excitement, anxiety, and confusion within the research industry. Agency leaders can reap the rewards of this new landscape with our five guiding principles for integrating AI into your strategies. From boosting operational efficiency […]
Seeing is believing: How to display your data story
Seeing is believing: How to display your data story Seeing is believing How to display your data story The proof is in the numbers 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every day. And by 2025, global data is set to reach 180 zettabytes – that is 180 trillion gigabytes. But, business leaders still don’t […]
Power up your profit
Power up your profit: Elevating financial results with operational excellence Power up your profit: Elevating financial results with operational excellence Operational excellence is your key to retail success. Learn to build a cost-effective customer acquisition model, use insights for real results, and leverage employee experience. Enhance local operations and deliver exceptional customer experiences. With actionable […]
Learn more about our industry leading platform
FORSTA NEWSLETTER
Get industry insights that matter,
delivered direct to your inbox
We collect this information to send you free content, offers, and product updates. Visit our recently updated privacy policy for details on how we protect and manage your submitted data.
