6 surprising insights on Jazz’s Digital Transformation
As our CEO, Aamir Ibrahim, says, “we are going to transform Jazz into a digital lifestyle player because our ambition is much bigger and broader.”
This is why we’ve been doing more. We like to say we’re making magic (and maybe we are), but the truth is we’re doing what it takes to enhance the lives of not just our 53 million users, but also Pakistan and beyond.
The journey has just begun. We’re excited to have you along for the ride.
1. We hope to be as heroic as the Autobots in Transformers, so we’re undergoing a digital transformation.
Did you know that one of the starting members of the Autobots in Transformers is named Jazz? We’re inspired by his commitment to protecting the earth and freedom.
Speaking of transformations, we’re working on one ourselves. As Aamir Ibrahim states, “we can’t be a digital company for our customers and not be one internally.”
To be heroes for our customers, we must first revolutionize the way we do things.
This starts with the team we hire. Hasan, head of talent acquisition and employer branding, describes how we’re bringing in the right talents:
“We have to realize and welcome the changes happening today. Rigid structures, like the nine-to-five workday, don’t attract top talent anymore. The digital age allows people flexibility in every sense, like working remotely. As HR professionals, we need to embrace these changes.”
Beyond hiring processes, we’re working on making our workflow and products and services as simple as possible. We’re talking as easy as sipping on tea in the afternoon. For example:
- You can purchase railway tickets from your sofa with JazzCash. You can even pay all your utility bills from your sofa through your JazzCash Mobile Account. That’s a lot you can do while relaxing.
- We’re optimizing business processes through more effective communication and feedback. Siham, a digital strategist, notes that we’re working to make Jazz 100-percent connected through tools like Workplace.
- We’re making partnerships so that we can improve. For instance, we’ve partnered with Careem to better manage employee transportation and make our workforce more agile. This way, we can get things done for our customers.
2. Have you ever seen a video showing how a seed becomes a flower? It’s amazing. We want to do something similar.
Well, we’re not technically going outside and planting flowers all day. What we’re doing is working on getting entrepreneurship in Pakistan to thrive.
This started with research and the publication of a whitepaper, the State of Digital Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Pakistan. This report outlines how Pakistan can build a world-class digital ecosystem.
“Pakistan needs a vibrant digital ecosystem to strengthen the economy, boost exports, and help provide jobs for the two million young people who enter the workforce each year,” the whitepaper states. The good news is that Pakistan already has a strong foundation, with thriving startups in consumer segments and a large base of young IT professionals.
To create a thriving digital entrepreneurship ecosystem, we must identify challenges, build collaborations, and unify key players (universities, corporations, entrepreneurs, investors, etc). As the report advises, “If every stakeholder works for a common goal, it is not that far that Pakistan will be an example to the world for its fast-moving digital economy.”
At Jazz, we feel we’re an integral part of this ecosystem — and we have a responsibility to empower entrepreneurs. That’s why we’re taking initiative. For instance:
- We launched the National Incubation Center in Islamabad in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom (MoITT). The aim is to bring entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators together so great ideas can be developed.
- We’re working to improve regulatory policies. Asma, head of digital policy, says the purpose is to “influence digital policy in Pakistan not just for Jazz, but so other companies and people can have more opportunities.”
- We’ve implemented telecenters across Pakistan in order to bridge the digital divide. These telecenters will provide many opportunities, including distance learning, more work options for freelancers, and the creation of e-services
3. Thomas Edison once said, ‘Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” That’s a cool quote to keep in mind.
This quote reminds us to look carefully at the opportunities that may be right in front of us.
After all, that’s how the idea for JazzCash began.
“In the early 2010s, Pakistan had about 60 percent mobile penetration, but only just over 10 percent banking penetration. People had access to mobile communication but not banking,” recalls Umair, head of digital analytics, strategy, and channels.
What we saw in this gap was opportunity — the chance to bring financial services to many more people through mobile technology. We started with basic banking services, but have expanded mobile financial services to enable users to do lots of things, including pay for their passport, buy health insurance, donate money, and transfer cash to friends and family. We’re also working to make online shopping run much smoothly with JazzCash.
So, JazzCash has become more than payments. We’re solving important needs for our communities. We just have to continue putting on our ‘opportunity’ goggles and pinpointing where we can help.
4. We’re working within an ecosystem that’s larger than us — and that requires everyone have fair inclusion in the process
Think of the way an ecosystem works. All parts must work harmoniously together to achieve sustainability.
We understand we operate within a larger ecosystem. Part of our duty is getting all hands on board. What we’re getting at is this: If the playing field is made more equal, Pakistan can grow and prosper.
That’s why we’ve implemented initiatives in Pakistan to empower women to realize their full potential. For instance, we’re going to disburse stipends to female students across Sindh province using JazzCash. This will give 600,000 girls access to education — and the opportunity to build a bright future.
We’ve also partnered with Unilever, Karandaaz, and Women’s World Banking to promote financial inclusion for women. As a publication noted about this development, it will make the “JazzCash mobile account available to women in rural neighborhoods using mobile and digital technology,” removing the burden of having to travel to access banking services. This can give them more financial tools to engage in entrepreneurial endeavors and gain financial security.
As Aniqa Afzal Sandhu, chief digital and financial services officer, states, extending the reach of JazzCash increases “financial inclusion of the marginalized and disenfranchised women across Pakistan,” and creates opportunities for great things to happen. We all stand to benefit.
5. We’re playing cricket — and others things. It’s about more than having fun (but we like the fun part of it, too)
If we could, we would play cricket all day, every day. But there’s work to do (too bad).
The good news is that some of our work involves cricket — specifically, the Jazz Rising Stars campaign.
Rising Stars is a contest that aims to find talented cricket players who’ve never been given a proper opportunity in the sport. Top players get the chance to compete for a spot on the Lahore Qalanders.
Yes, you read that right. That’s exciting, isn’t it?
The response since we started has been incredible. Jazz Rising Stars has turned into the largest grassroots cricket talent hunt in the world.
As the team at Jazz noted about the last Rising Stars search, “these cricket players had become the heroes of the nation. The stories of these young people touched the hearts of Pakistan.”
The Rising Stars campaign is just one part of many projects Jazz is undertaking across Pakistan. We’re extremely humbled and happy that our work is being recognized. We recently won the Pakistan Center of Philanthropy Award.
We take pride in our responsibility to help Pakistan build a better tomorrow.
6. We can’t give everyone a crown, but we treat our customers like they’re wearing one
Our employees has a great way of describing our approach with customers.
“If we actively reach out to our customer base, the response can be amazing. Not only can we better engage with customers, we can easily find solutions.”
One way we’re doing this is through Customer Obsessed Day, which is now an awesome tradition of ours. On this day, team members from every department — even those that don’t typically interact with customers — go to the streets to chat with customers.
We’ve been using the feedback from Customer Obsessed Day to improve our services for our users and give them precisely what they want. Because they’re the kings.
What’s Ahead
Lots of great things await in the coming years. At Jazz, our mission is to enact positive change by using our resources to do all we can for our customers, country, and world. By becoming a digital company, we can help take Pakistan into the digital age, give back to society, and make life better for our customers. We can also have fun along the way.
Indeed, we’re excited about the future. Join us for the wonderful ride.
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