An Overview of the Benefits of Customer Data Integration

Every so often, I think it’s a good idea to take a step back and look at the main benefits of a customer data integration system (“CDI”) in a summary fashion.

In order to integrate multiple separate data silos, Common IDs are needed to match and link location and contact records that are either the same or are related from these disparate databases.  It has been our experience that when an organization needs to integrate 3 or more data sources, there is almost never complete and accurate Common IDs among the databases.  If an organization needs to integrate 2 or more data sources (or even organize a single data source), we have often found that there is not complete and accurate Common IDs there as well.  A customer data integration system can generate the Common IDs that are needed to match and link records from separate sources to develop a single view of the customer.

With Common IDs integrating separate data silos, an organization can:

1.  Use the tool of its choice to query across multiple databases.  Generally, our clients have used this capability to perform marketing analysis and generate lists for campaigns.  Other Executive/Financial Reports are also a common use.  Please also note, that since the multiple representations of the same organization can now be given the same Common ID, reports can also be more accurate as the multiple records for the same organization can be counted as "one" in a report.

2.  Single Customer View.  A view can be set-up so that someone can have a single view of all the company's information for a customer.  For example, a sales rep could see all of the authorized information regarding an account that is in the accounting system, the customer service system, and external marketing files while planning the up-sell/cross-sell strategy for that account.  Views for other departments (accounting, customer service, executive, etc.) could be set-up as well.

3.  Data Maintenance - Duplicate records within single silos and across silos can be identified.  Corporate hierarchies can be implemented.  Depending on the level of completeness needed, these hierarchies can be generated by a combination of match rules, manual review, and utilizing third-party marketing data

4.  Database Building and Consolidation.  Common IDs generated from a customer data integration system can be used to identify the unique and overlap of records and help identify corporate hierarchies to build the new database.  This is typically needed after a corporate acquisition or the organization is migrating to a new database solution.

Comments

[accounting software systems]

Thanks but I have a question. What's the security features of this Data Integration?

-Kim

[ClubPenguin]

If an organization needs to integrate 2 or more data sources, we have often found that there is not complete and accurate Common IDs there as well.