Even though the term innovation remains a buzzword du jour, it can also unequivocally change lives in a split second. Case in point: The world pivoting to digital strategies sooner than planned due to COVID-19. Digital innovation is now influencing the employee and customer experience faster than ever before. But to remain resilient and agile during volatile times, B2B companies are leaning on the startup community to take innovation to the next level.
Working with entrepreneurs beyond the four walls of your business brings a different flavor of technology to the table which helps B2B sectors digitize. And that’s a real value driver for those considering how training employees, implementing internal policies, retaining talent, ensuring well-being, and creating successful customer experiences can more strategically optimize results throughout an employee’s workforce journey and the entire customer lifecycle.
Sure, building third-party application programming interfaces (APIs) on top of existing inventions has been around for 20 years. But the global volatility emerging from COVID-19 has shown corporate leaders their businesses need to be more nimble to create collaborative and inclusive work environments while also delivering optimal outcomes and experiences for customers.
Clearly, employees and consumers alike want real improvements to keep up with the accelerated pace of change the digital economy is mercilessly creating. This is likely why the use of third-party APIs from startups is on the rise. B2B companies simply can’t afford to overlook the power of startups to not only attract top talent and keep them, but also improve digital commerce experience capabilities. Startup innovation must be seen as a value driver and strategic engine of B2B growth.