Q: What problem was Apto trying to solve when it was created?
A: Apto was founded with the purpose of helping Mexican companies navigate the digital transformation, which is part of the strategic planning of nearly every company, regardless of the industry. Our approach is rooted in human-centered methodologies, applying design principles to solve a wide range of challenges across multiple sectors.
Companies are not necessarily experts in design, innovation, or technology. Many have technical teams but lack strategic technological capabilities. We serve as an intermediary that understands the objectives of executive leadership, such as the need to become more agile, and translate those into technical capabilities.
Q: What challenges do Mexican companies face as they advance their digital transformation?
A: The business environment has become increasingly aggressive. Business leaders face a multitude of factors that make it difficult to remain relevant. Traditionally, a business starts, grows, matures, declines, and eventually exits the market. In the past, these lifecycles were much longer and more forgiving, giving companies time to adapt to market changes. But with the onset of digitalization, globalization, and recent socio-political factors, that curve has shortened significantly. Obsolescence looms faster than ever. The focus is now to be more efficient by leveraging technology.
Another key issue is that the pressure of the environment often pushes executives to jump straight to solutions. But due to time pressure and the demand for speed and agility, companies often end up implementing solutions that do not actually solve the root issue. This is where strategic support can make a large difference.
Q: How does Apto help businesses meet the increasingly growing customer expectations?
A: In several industries, expectations are higher than ever, and meeting them is no easy feat. For example, retailers now promise to deliver purchases in 24 hours, which requires inventory availability, efficient supplier management, and an excellent last-mile logistics network. Despite this, the customer’s entire experience often hinges on the last person who delivers the package. Instead of pushing logistics partners to cut costs, we should be asking how to empower businesses with better tools, benefits, mobile plans, and route optimization algorithms, among other tools.
Other industries are more concerned about what really matters to the customer, which is where design plays a crucial role. Design, which is inherently human-centered, helps companies identify what really matters to their customer and deliver on those expectations.
Q: How does Apto help its clients innovate, especially when they do not know what they need?
A: It depends on the client’s level of maturity. Leadership is often disconnected from the reality of the end user or customer, which is why we make it a priority to represent the end user throughout the design process. We gather qualitative data on pain points, behavioral patterns, and insights from actual users. This becomes our guiding light. We combine that information with our user research. Only when we have explored both internal perspectives and user needs do we begin defining the solution. This ensures alignment between the decision-makers and the actual needs of their customers.
Q: What metrics are essential to truly understand the user’s needs?
A: We primarily focus on qualitative analysis, which gives us insight into how users feel when interacting with a product or service. It tells us about their frustrations, desires, and expectations. When it comes to design and innovation, understanding the emotional journey and behavioral patterns of the user is essential.
Q: How does Apto implement technology into its processes and how has this integration improved your services?
A: From the beginning, the company had a strong tech DNA. We started out focusing on digital solutions and the creation of digital ecosystems. We built up strong capabilities in cloud computing, learning how to create ecosystems in the cloud, build robust back-ends, and design exceptional front-end experiences.
Technology helps address specific market needs, but everything should begin with designing the user experience. Too often, companies start with a tech roadmap and forget about the customer. But processes, systems, and technology should serve customers’ needs. The companies that stand out will be the ones that understand their users and redesign systems, channels, and tech around that understanding.
We are working on an interesting project with a company that processes large amounts of data. We are using AI to optimize purchasing, importing, and redistribution across warehouses, making everything far more efficient. Cloud computing alone allows one to build robust reporting systems, but layering in AI introduces exponential possibilities.
Q: What does Apto expect in the coming years in terms of client portfolio and positioning?
A: We have the potential to become Mexico’s strategic design firm. Some of the few firms with end-to-end capabilities have already been acquired by foreign companies. So we want to consolidate our position and, within the next three to five years, establish a presence in the United States to reach other markets.
Apto is a consulting firm that specializes in user-centered design, technology development, and innovation strategy.
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