Asian Business Review · 23 Sep, 07:17 · Business briefing

RSM UAE’s Haifa Balfaqih: Transformation succeeds when it starts with service journey, not technology

Haifa Balfaqih, representing RSM UAE, argues that successful digital transformation prioritises the customer service journey over mere technological adoption.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Haifa Balfaqih, representing RSM UAE, argues that successful digital transformation prioritises the customer service journey over mere technological adoption. This perspective challenges the common industry assumption that technology drives change, suggesting instead that understanding client needs and mapping their experience must precede any technical implementation. The report highlights how aligning business processes with genuine service outcomes creates more sustainable and effective transformations. For professionals, this signals a shift in strategic focus, where human-centric design and process optimisation take precedence over simply acquiring new software or digital tools.

Employer demand for Business And Management skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

This shift means your technical skills alone are no longer sufficient. You must demonstrate how technology serves specific human outcomes. Professionals in consulting, operations, and product management should pay close attention. To stay relevant, focus on mapping customer journeys and identifying pain points before proposing solutions. Develop skills in service design and stakeholder management. A smart professional would immediately audit their current projects to ensure they start with user needs, not vendor capabilities. Prioritise courses in service blueprinting and change management. By leading with empathy and process clarity, you become indispensable in an era where technology is abundant but meaningful application is rare. This approach protects your career from automation by emphasising uniquely human strategic insight.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Business And Management, Innovation, Leadership and Project Management — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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