FUTR Asia Summit 2019 brought together leaders from retail, technology, digital innovation, and customer experience to discuss how businesses can adapt to rapidly changing consumer expectations. One of the major themes was the growing importance of customer-centricity in an increasingly digital marketplace. Organizations were encouraged to move beyond traditional business models and focus on creating seamless, personalized, and convenient experiences across all customer touchpoints. The event highlighted how customers now expect brands to understand their needs, anticipate preferences, and deliver consistent experiences regardless of channel. Businesses that invest in customer understanding, experience design, and innovation are often better positioned to build loyalty and remain competitive in fast-changing markets. The discussions reinforced the idea that customer experience is no longer a differentiator but a business necessity.
What we learned at FUTR Asia Summit 2019
Jasmine consolidates her thoughts on this year's FUTR Summit.
We recently attended the FUTR Asia Summit in Singapore.
Here’s what we learnt from people and brands across industries, who came together to exchange case studies and knowledge on how industries are evolving to address changing consumer needs.
While keynotes and panels were categorised under specific interests such as retail, marketing and innovation – similar themes emerged across presentations.
Most speakers shared experiences on driving innovation and/or digital transformation within their organisations, and discussions centered around unpacking the challenges and successes of those.
Technology is a tool, not the answer
Across the board, senior stakeholders believe that technology can enable business-wide success.
Isabelle Zhou, Head of Growth at Love, Bonito relayed this well, saying that: “Technology is not the magic pill. How to use technology to meet your objective is the magic pill.”
She emphasised the need for businesses to form strategies informed by customer insight and build talent that can harness technology to meet specific objectives.
We also noticed a departure from the mindset, that adopting the latest technology will help businesses create a competitive edge. Instead, stakeholders recognised that a people-centric approach is the key to greater success.
Innovation through customer-centricity
It’s clear that organisations are beginning to realise the value and subsequent importance of customer-centricity when it comes to driving innovation for their products and services.
Focus was also placed on using customer engagement to evaluate existing experiences and unpack pain points - to identify opportunities for innovation. This was often achieved through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research.
In his keynote, Klaas Mantel, Head of Global Convenience Retail at Shell International, shared how his team harness customer insights to differentiate their retail offering.
In fact, Shell’s latest research on electronic vehicles uncovered that - while charging EVs - customers preferred to spend their time, being productive or eating, instead of waiting elsewhere.
That’s why Shell’s convenience stores are set to become one of their main customer touch-points. To completely reimagine the forecourt experience, Shell are working alongside EV owners to visualise and design future forecourt scenarios.
The need for organisational alignment
Organisational alignment - another critical factor that influences the success of innovation and/or transformation – was also discussed at length. Primarily, it surfaced as a key challenge for businesses, in a panel which focused on organisations and how to deliver a unified brand experience, across online and offline touch-points.
The panelists discussed the need for change management to set up processes, teams and culture - to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience.
However, struggles around organisational alignment across companies and verticals surfaced - especially when businesses comprise thousands of people.
Head of Customer Care Management, AXA China and HK, Sudesh Thevasenabathy, expressed the hard truth, that few departments - often customer-facing ones - believed in the customer-first mission.
To shift mindsets across all departments required cultural change, a mix of tactics and patience. However, this moved the business toward an aligned vision.
Siloed ways of working that become barriers to alignment was another hot topic. Kshitij Hatsu, Head of Growth (SEA), at Moengage, shared an example of where these siloed departments divide customer data and prevent exchange.
At a recent Foolproof event on digital transformation, attendees echoed this – pointing out that silos could create internal politics. Since each owned a different set of KPIs, they might start seeing one another competing for resources, instead of allies with the same agenda.
Restructuring a business and changing these attitudes were key to forming the alignment that’s required to kickstart innovation and transformation work.
Addressing the “talent gap”
Recruiting talent also surfaced as another challenge. Although the problem concerns a general lack of awareness around skillsets required for up-and-coming roles.
Steve Lee, CIO of Changi Airport Group, shared that it was increasingly difficult to recruit the right people for the job. Some positions were new, and the business was busy shaping role responsibilities.
Sometimes, it took time to figure out what skillsets were required to reach the intended goals. This is increasingly common as innovation creates the need for new skillsets.
As businesses shift their organisational structure and offering, they also realise the need to create new roles unfamiliar to them.
For Steve, he saw a need for an agile methodology applied to HR. In his mind, the process needs to shift toward more iterative and flexible ways of working.
He cited soft-skills such as adaptability, organisational awareness and courage as valuable.
So what?
The conference was an honest and frank discussion about progress - or lack thereof - with innovation and transformation work.
As a design practitioner, I found greater maturity around the topic of innovation within APAC and stronger conviction to a people-first approach inspiring.
FUTR Asia - FAQs
Customer experience has become a strategic priority because it directly influences customer loyalty, retention, brand perception, and revenue growth. Modern consumers have more choices than ever before and can easily switch to competitors if an experience fails to meet expectations. Organizations increasingly recognize that exceptional customer experiences create lasting relationships and encourage repeat engagement. A well-designed experience can reduce friction, improve satisfaction, and strengthen trust. By placing customer needs at the center of business decisions, companies can create sustainable value and improve long-term performance in competitive markets.
Advances in technology have transformed how customers interact with products, services, and brands. Digital platforms, mobile devices, artificial intelligence, and data-driven personalization have raised expectations regarding convenience, speed, and relevance. Customers increasingly expect experiences that are intuitive, responsive, and personalized to their individual needs. Technology also enables businesses to gather deeper customer insights and deliver more tailored interactions. However, successful organizations understand that technology alone is not enough. The most effective digital experiences combine technological innovation with a strong understanding of human behavior, customer motivations, and user needs.
Innovation plays a vital role in helping organizations meet evolving customer expectations and differentiate themselves from competitors. In the context of customer experience, innovation involves identifying new ways to solve problems, remove friction, and create meaningful value for customers. Businesses that foster innovation often use customer research, experimentation, and design thinking to uncover opportunities for improvement. By continually evolving products, services, and experiences, organizations can remain relevant in changing markets while creating stronger relationships with customers.
Successful digital transformation requires more than implementing new technologies. Organizations must ensure that digital initiatives address genuine customer challenges and improve real-world experiences. This begins with understanding customer behaviors, expectations, and pain points through research and analysis. A customer-centered transformation strategy prioritizes usability, accessibility, convenience, and value. By involving customers throughout the design and development process, organizations can create digital experiences that support both business goals and customer outcomes. This approach increases adoption, satisfaction, and overall success.
One of the most important lessons from FUTR Asia Summit 2019 is that customer expectations continue to evolve rapidly, requiring organizations to remain adaptable and forward-thinking. Companies that invest in customer understanding, experience design, and innovation are more likely to succeed in increasingly competitive markets. The summit emphasized that exceptional customer experiences result from a combination of strategic thinking, customer insight, technology, and organizational commitment. Businesses that integrate these elements can create experiences that drive loyalty, engagement, and long-term growth.