The First IDM Data Council Summit 2007
Data Management Strategies that Create Competitive Advantage
A truly unique programme featuring some of the world leading data strategists covering…
- Data strategies to maximise multi-channel marketing budgets
- Build competitive advantage through customer intelligence and insight
- Using data to improve the customer experience
- Demonstrating the value of the data to the Board
Sponsor
Who presented?
Keynote speakers included…
- Seán Kelly. Best-selling author and world-leading data expert
- Rosemary Albinson, Strategy and Planning Manager R&M Technology Strategy Team, BP
- Christine Bailey, Visiting Fellow, Cranfield University School of Management
- Caroline Johns, Data Governance Manager, E.ON UK
- Lesley Atkinson, Head of Customer Contact, AA
- Graeme McDermott, Head of Customer Insight and Data AA
- Steve Wills, Managing Director, Customer Insight Solutions Ltd
- Matt Dixon, Business Intelligence Manager, Norgen
- Huw Davis Hon F IDM, Chairman & Global Director Discovery & Data
Delivering customer intelligence in a retail network: a case study in business transformation
Seán Kelly, Author, Lecturer, Software Engineer and International Business Consultant.
Seán is best known as an expert in the field of customer intelligence and information exploitation and also as one of the first designers of an enterprise data warehouse. In 1993 he authored the best-selling Data Warehousing—The Route to Mass Customisation. In 1994 he founded the Data Warehouse Network, Europe's premier data warehouse design consultancy group. Seán’s latest book is called Customer Intelligence – From Data to Dialogue.
Session overview
This case study provided insights into the complexity of extracting real intelligence from consumers where customer tastes are subject to rapid change and where customer segments are continually spawning, merging and disappearing. In his keynote opening session Seán reviewed the benefits of linking retail transaction data with customer profiles and how the abundant intelligence collected from the database provides answers to questions such as 'what are they worth', 'when they buy', 'what they buy' and 'what motivates them to buy'.
Presentation summary
- Defines the essence of customer intelligence
- Describes how fragmented retail customer data is transformed into a sophisticated customer segmentation model that drives a highly differentiated direct marketing machine
- Describes the effort, resources, duration, skills and return on investment required during the transformation of an organisation from an exclusively brand and advertising mass marketing culture to one of technologically driven differentiated marketing
- Frankly describes the obstacles faced in achieving this transformation
- Spark some real debate by using the experience of this client to place a monetary value on different levels of customer intelligence.
Data and decisions - the anatomy of a profit focussed organisation
Rosemary Albinson, Strategy and Planning Manager R&M Technology Strategy Team, BP
Over the last 15 years Rosemary has held a number of global marketing and strategy roles in Castrol and BP, most recently focussing on how global companies can better understand what drives their short and long term marketing profitability. She graduated with a Jt Hons in Biology & Physics followed by a career in research and consulting before taking an MBA at the London Business School.
Session overview
Delegates gained a perspective on why getting useful data is so difficult and hear about practical steps they can take to build a "data smart" organisation. Planning your data management programme is as important as planning your strategic processes.
Presentation summary
- Much effort and resources are focussed on obtaining data - often requiring large IT budgets to achieve this end - but little effort is put into understanding how to leverage value and insight from the data collected
- By the time this error is realised - when the quantity of data is overwhelming but the usefulness is low - it is very difficult to move forward
- Spending as much time on planning and trialling what to do with the data as on acquiring it pays large dividends
- The results will focus the data acquisition projects on to the useful and value adding areas.
Turning data into actionable customer insight
Christine Bailey, Research Associate of Cranfield School of Management and Henley Management College.
Christine is also an independent marketing consultant and doctoral candidate. She has 15 years’ experience in technology and services marketing, including five years as Marketing Director of a specialist CRM consultancy firm. Her part-time doctorate investigates how companies use customer insight to drive customer acquisition, retention and development. Christine provides marketing services to The Working Manager (TWM), an online management education company. Previous employers include Extraprise, Cambridge Technology Partners, Insight Marketing & Communications and Hewlett-Packard in Germany.
Session overview
Delegates took away a new model listing the extensive sources of data being collected, the types of customer insight being generated and an illustration of how this insight is being actioned across the organisation. The model is based on empirical research investigating how five large companies in the UK are using customer insight to drive customer acquisition, retention and development. Delegates were guided on the implications of this model for practitioners.
Presentation summary
- The types of data companies are using to generate customer insight
- The types of customer insight companies are generating
- How insight is being actioned across the organisation
- The implications for practitioners
The data governance journey
Caroline Johns, Data Governance Manager, E.ON UK
Caroline graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a Psychology BSc (Hons) in 1996. She joined East Midlands Electricity Retail in 1997 within Credit Operations before moving in 2000 to Project Management (now Powergen). Here she was latterly responsible for sales optimisation which included implementation of new products and prices and prospect data planning. This is where her interest in data quality and the potential benefits to the business was first developed. In 2005 she was appointed as Data Governance Manager for E.ON UK, the UK's largest integrated energy company. Caroline is responsible for the development of approach for the implementation of data governance into retail business, with the overall objective to create the environment for improving data quality.
Session overview
In her session Caroline gave delegates a key insight into E.ON’s strategy for creating the right environment to improve data quality as well as an understanding of the potential pitfalls and challenges when introducing data governance. Caroline also shared with us the fundamental elements to ensure success. It covered:
- Know your starting point – data audit
- The importance of communication and taking the business on the journey with you
- Challenge of assigning ownership
- Understanding the size of the prize
New key to add value
Lesley Atkinson, Head of Customer Contact, AA and Graeme McDermott, Head of Customer Insight and Data, AA.
Lesley Atkinson: Head of Customer Contact, AA. Lesley has worked in marketing and CRM data management and analysis throughout her career at the AA, including developing and implementing tools for segmentation and lifetime value. She oversees the AA’s use of customer and prospect data to facilitate direct marketing and developing strategies to improve the use of data across all areas of customer contact
Graeme McDermott: Head of Customer Insight and Data, AA. Graeme joined the AA in 1999. Has held several key data related roles, including heading the MIS team for AA Insurance. Responsible for migrating the AA’s customer data warehouse from Centrica following the sale to a private equity company (‘data runs through my veins’).
Session overview
Delegates benefitted from the lessons learned by two experienced direct marketing data specialists including why small focussed teams deliver the best results; the need for business driven project ownership and clear objectives; how detailed planning leads to results that exceed expectations; the value added from data quality initiatives; why identifying downstream activities leads to improved performance.
Presentation summary
Strategies developed and implemented by the AA to unlock the value in customer data:
- Creating and reporting data at individual customer level
- Maximising the volume of records available for marketing purposes
- Creating data structures that reduce campaign execution costs and simplify user training
- Improving propensity models
- Developing a platform to optimise campaign management
- Creating solid foundations for implementing email marketing
The new science of insight management
Steve Wills, Managing Director, Customer Insight Solutions Ltd
Customer Insight Solutions are a company devoted to development of best practice in client-side insight management. As part of these best practice activities, Steve is also Chairman of the customer insight forum. This is a membership organisation specifically set up to explore issues and develop solutions in insight management for the customer insight departments of major companies. It has 22 members ranging from Barclays and GlaxoSmithKline through to Tesco and Vodafone. Steve’s career spans new venture development, business strategy consulting, and running a successful research agency. He is an expert in all aspects of managing customer insight, the way it is disseminated and used, and the ways in which it supports strategy development.
Session overview
Delegates learned how major companies have come to understand the strategic importance of insight in creating competitive advantage – and how the role of “Insight Management” differs from the traditional skills previously required with market research, CRM and data management. It will outline the key practical steps an Insight Director needs to take if the value of insight is to be fully exploited.
Presentation summary
- The development of Insight Departments and their strategic role
- The vision for the Insight Department of tomorrow
- The key skills and practices that need to be developed
- The role of the Customer Insight Forum in developing best practice
The relevance of data quality to Business Intelligence in Norgren
Matt Dixon, Business Intelligence Manager, Norgren
Matt joined IMI PLC in 2001 as a Graduate Manufacturing Engineer and undertook a 2 year graduate training programme. Following on from a final graduate placement as a pricing analyst Matt joined IMI's subsidiary Norgren where he spent 2 years as the main analyst working on Norgren's global sales data warehouse. This led onto a current role as Business Intelligence Manager working within a newly formed team responsible for developing the capabilities and relevance of the BI function.
Session overview
This case study session outlined the parallel development of Norgren's BI programme and the control of data quality including examples to illustrate where data quality limited the success of BI to the point of becoming the factor working most vigorously in opposition of effective Business Intelligence.
Presentation summary
The presentation identified the strategic importance of considering data flows outside the traditional sources when developing and implementing their marketing strategy. In addition, the case study demonstrated the value of identifying appropriate champions within an organisation if data issues are to be resolved.
- The structure and scope of BI in Norgren
- When, where and why data quality issues are being identified by Norgren
- How we deal with data quality issues
- Practical changes that have been made as a result of the above.
The rationalisation and the opportunities of a global data strategy
Huw Davis Hon F IDM, Chairman & Global Director Discovery & Data
Since graduating with an Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics degree, Huw has worked in the marketing industry for over eighteen years, specialising in the strategic use of data. His approach to statistical modelling and data analysis is to provide solutions which are actionable rather than theoretical. In 1989 Huw founded and became Senior Director of Data by Design, a consultancy specialising in data analysis and database design within marketing. Experian bought Data by Design in 1998. Huw then moved to OgilvyOne Worldwide as General Manager for Data and Consulting. He is now the European Managing Director of EHS Brann Discovery, a major division of Brann Worldwide.
Session overview
Over the next 5 years or so markets like China will produce volumes of customer information that will be as large an issue than new media data and UK marketers will need to understand the implication of this data on their systems. Delegates fast tracked their understanding of the top line issues of customer data in a global marketplace and in particular understand the implication of developing a data strategy in emerging markets.
Presentation summary
- The growth of emerging markets like LATAM, Asia and Eastern Europe means larger global brand clients need to develop a consistent strategy with respect to customer data
- The issue of differing government and personal access to data will be highlighted
- How to create templated solutions for segmentation that handles variations in lifestyle in different markets
IDM Data Summit 2009
If you would like to register your interest in the Third IDM Data Council Summit email macs@theidm.com now.
How you can get involved
There are a variety of ways in which you can get involved in the next IDM Data Council Summit, whether that be through content or event sponsorship. To find out more about providing content email Joanna King or for possible sponsorship opportunities email Lisa Turner.
