#46: Unleashing the Power of Customer Obsession: Amazon's Approach to Innovation with Dr. Francis Goh, Amazon Web Services

Amazon has been on my wish list for podcast guests.  Dr. Francis did not disappoint in a powerful and thoughtful insider perspective of what makes Amazon a consistent CX leader. We will dive deep into the world of generative AI and its potential impact on customer interactions, as well as how Amazon harnesses this technology to stay ahead of the game.  Dr. Goh sheds light on the unique culture and principles that have made Amazon a global leader in innovation. As we explore the fascinating intersection of technology, customer obsession, and the ever-evolving business landscape, get ready to be inspired and discover new possibilities. In this episode: - Amazon's journey from a bookshop to a tech giant - At least half of Amazon's leadership principles focus on innovation - Generative AI in customer experience and contact centers - Caution against technology-driven strategies - Amazon's efforts to help customers use generative AI Meet Dr. Francis Francis Goh is the Digital Innovation Leader, for Amazon, leading innovation engagements with key clients of Amazon in the region. In 2016, he founded Hehsed Consulting, which specializes in Corporate strategy, innovation, CX, Agile and leadership strategies. He was also a mentor at NTU Nanyang (MBA) Business School. Prior to this he was the CEO at the global HR consulting firm, Mercer and President CEO at Fujitsu Singapore. Francis has 28 years of international experience in the technology and energy industries, having had numerous P&L and high impact leadership roles with global leaders such as Accenture, SAP, HP, Microsoft and ExxonMobil. During this time, Francis has lived and worked across Asia, Europe and the United States. Francis specializes in the areas of emerging solutions, breakthrough business models and innovation. He has a proven track record in building #high-performance teams and overachieving both revenue and profit targets consistently. He has a strong reputation for developing and deploying new business go-to-market strategies across sales, operations and resource management. He establishes core innovative business models which further enhanced brand positioning and grew both topline and profits as a result. Francis is a hands-on leader with deep solution and value-selling expertise across a broad spectrum of clients in the Asia Pacific region across industries such as Oil &Gas, FSI, telco, manufacturing and the government sectors. Time Stamped Overview [00:02:56] Passionate innovator shares Amazon's story and techniques. [00:08:24] Excited to have Amazon on our podcast. [00:11:09] Amazon's culture is centered around innovation. Innovation is crucial for organizations to avoid stagnation and competition. Amazon started as a bookshop and evolved into a successful ecommerce platform. Customer obsession is a core value and drives their innovation process. Starting with understanding customer needs before considering technology solutions is important. [00:16:04] Start with customer and reverse engineer: avoiding technology-driven strategy trap. Customer obsession key in all aspects. Understand customer journey and priorities. Amazon's success: started as digital bookstore, applied principles to expand into diverse businesses like AWS. [00:21:40] AI, specifically generative AI, is gaining popularity. It can generate new content and have various application Subscribe to The Delighted Customer Podcast so you don't miss an episode: https://www.empoweredcx.com/podcast Subscribe to The Delighted Customer Newsletter for practical tips and insights: https://www.empoweredcx.com/delightedcustomersnewsletter