Harmonized Business Processes, Reliable Data and Customer-Centricity
The company is an Italian luxury fashion brand with a global presence. Initially established as a producer of fine wool knitwear, the brand now offers full women's and men's collections, available online and in 136 retail stores across Europe, North America, China, and other regions worldwide. With a customer base of 350,000 clients, the company generated over €600 million in revenue in 2019, marking a 10% increase compared to the previous year.
The Context
The company’s customer data came from multiple entry points and was managed by various interconnected yet inconsistently integrated systems, including an ERP, a CRM, a Data Warehouse, an E-Commerce platform, an order management system, and a Retail POS. These systems exchanged information in overlapping, intertwined, and sometimes contradictory pathways. This intricate but fragmented network of data flows turned the company's typical operational complexity into a tangled web of information, compromising the accuracy of customer profiles.
Without unambiguous data, incomplete and duplicate customer profiles became common, posing a dual risk for the company. On one hand, analysis of customer datasets contaminated by unreliable or scant information lacked accuracy, depriving the business of valuable insights. On the other hand, duplication and fragmentation undermined the company’s ability to correctly identify and segment customers for focused marketing communications and initiatives while requiring lengthy and labor-intensive manual checks.
The Solutions
After identifying the company's needs, we pursued a course of action that addressed the Global Head of CRM and IT department's need to structure customer information, laying the groundwork for the development of a data quality project capable not only of keeping pace with business growth, but also actively supporting it.
First, we redesigned the data flows so that customer information converged into a single central point: the Master Data Management (MDM) system. The MDM collected all data from various entry points, standardized it using a unified data model, and then distributed clean, structured information to all connected systems. This data harmonization was essential for the second phase of the project.
Once a clean, standardized, and unique set of "master data" was in place across all the information systems, we turned our attention to its reliability within business processes. To keep customer profiles growing from all entry points—without compromising data quality—we implemented automated validators capable of harmonizing data formats, inferring missing information, and integrating it into customer records. We tackled duplicate profiles by defining and applying probabilistic and proximity-based rules. Finally, we built a certification system that could instantly assess and indicate the reliability of any given information.
The Results
By putting the MDM in charge of flows from multiple entry points, the company was able to harmonize its information assets without losing their richness. Data from numerous diverse sources now flows into a single, standardized master record before being distributed to other systems as clean and certified. What was once a tangled web of data-related business processes is now a strategic asset.
Thanks to the Data Quality engine, the company has gained a clear visibility into the reliability of its data. The weeding out of customer profiles allows target customers to be identified from the first point of contact. Certified information translates to more targeted communication, more relevant offers and nurturing initiatives. Unique and trustworthy customer profiles allow the marketing department to carry out in-depth analyses to acquire new customers and retain old ones.
The development of the MDM project with the Data Quality engine has helped the company fully realize its customer-centric business model. Customers can now be identified as soon as employees greet them at the point of sale. Their unique and reliable profile grows richer with every interaction. Thanks to the power of technology, the company can now carefully cultivate a long-lasting relationship with the customer and craft personalized and exclusive experiences that reflect its high-quality products.