Outcome Over Optics: Rethinking What Really Moves the Needle in CX

In this issue, we spotlight the deeper work behind lasting experience gains. These four articles explore how organizations are moving beyond surface-level metrics to define what success really looks like, through smarter measurement, cross-functional thinking, and practical AI adoption. Whether you're leading customer success, scaling AI, or aligning teams across the enterprise, this digest offers clear thinking on the metrics that matter.

Maximizing Outcomes with Integrated Customer Success and Experience Metrics

by Ricardo Saltz Gulko | CustomerLand

Customer experience and customer success are often managed separately, even though both teams are chasing the same outcome: long-term value. In this thoughtful piece, Ricardo Saltz Gulko outlines how organizations can align their CX and CS efforts by integrating the metrics that guide them. Instead of tracking disconnected KPIs, mature organizations are designing shared scorecards that reflect real outcomes, not just activity.

Key Takeaways:

• Success and experience are interdependent, but often siloed.
  
  
• Integrated metrics help unify efforts around shared outcomes.
  
  
• Traditional KPIs miss the full customer lifecycle story.
  
  
• The right metrics foster accountability across departments.
  
  
• Alignment drives clarity, trust, and customer value.

👉 Read the article

AI Agents Are Hitting a Liability Wall—Here’s the Fix

by Ben Dickson | VentureBeat

AI agents are getting more capable—but not more reliable. In this insightful article, Ben Dickson unpacks how performance gaps and legal risks are limiting enterprise deployment. The core issue? AI agents often fail on multi-step tasks and can't be fully trusted with high-risk decisions. To solve this, Mixus introduces a “colleague-in-the-loop” model, blending AI automation with human oversight. Their approach allows organizations to scale AI confidently by putting humans back into critical moments of the workflow.

Key Takeaways:

• AI agents still struggle with complex, high-stakes workflows.
  
  
• Human oversight is essential for trust, safety, and compliance.
  
  
• Risk thresholds can be set using natural language—no coding required.
  
  
• Shared oversight lets one expert supervise many agents efficiently.
  
  
• Hybrid models ensure both speed and accountability in enterprise AI.

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IFS CEO and CPO Offer Candid Views on Industrial AI and Speed to Value

by Mark Vigoroso | ERP Today

In this executive Q&A, Mark Vigoroso sits down with IFS leadership to discuss what’s really driving results in enterprise AI, and what’s just noise. The big takeaway? Speed matters more than scale. Organizations that focus on simplicity, clarity, and time to value are seeing stronger adoption and impact. If you’re looking for a grounded take on industrial AI, this one delivers real talk from the top.

Key Takeaways:

• Value needs to be delivered fast, not just promised.
  
  
• Industrial AI is evolving from pilot to production.
  
  
• Simplicity and usability beat complexity and scope.
  
  
• Customer outcomes, not tech specs, drive adoption.
  
  
• AI should enhance frontline teams, not overwhelm them.

👉 Read the article

Customer Success Isn’t a Department, It’s a Mindset Everyone Should Own

by Tarek Kahil | CustomerThink

It’s time to break the silos. In this opinion piece, Tarek Kahil challenges the traditional view of customer success as a single team’s job. Instead, he argues for embedding CS thinking across departments, from product to operations to marketing. By treating customer success as a mindset, not a role, organizations can better align efforts, reduce internal friction, and drive more consistent customer outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

• CS is a mindset, not a job title.
  
  
• Success needs to be built into every team’s workflow.
  
  
• Cross-functional alignment leads to consistent delivery.
  
  
• Friction often comes from poor internal handoffs.
  
  
• Empowered employees create better outcomes.

👉 Read the article

Announcements

We’re proud to welcome Michael Scioscia, General Manager of JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, as a keynote speaker at Horizons Summit 2025.

With 40 years at Marriott, Michael has led his team to major milestones, including the first JW Marriott in North America to earn a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Rating, and the first JW Marriott restaurant in the world to do the same.

His leadership reflects the core of Experience Intelligence: purpose, innovation, and people-first excellence.

Stay tuned for more on his session!

About CX Horizons

CX Horizons is a free publication from Farlinium, created to share insights and strategies for elevating customer experiences. 

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