In 2016, the technology Director (CTO) of the National Center for missing and exploited children (NCMEC) began exploring how employees of the organization share data within the company. He immediately noticed the problem. Data on exploited children and data on missing children were stored in separate databases, and the units to which each data set belonged did not share information.
Since some children are likely to fall into both categories, sharing data in this way does not allow the organization to help as many children as possible. The CTO began working with both departments to create a new enterprise-wide system that combines two sets of data. Now each Department has a holistic picture of all the children NCMEC is committed to helping.
The new system "will allow our analysts to add value to the data by providing better information to law enforcement and hopefully save more children," says Gavin Portnoy, Vice President of strategic development and partnership at NCMEC.The data warehouses that NCMEC has encountered are common in almost every industry. This is a marketing principle which is that you have to get the right message from the right person at the right time. But to achieve this, suitable business units must also have access to certain data when they need it.
Organizational bins must be brought together to exchange data between business units. Employees will be the most innovative and will offer the best ideas only when they have all the necessary data at hand.
Here are three best practices on how to break down these repositories and maximize your data for opportunities that improve the quality of your customer service:
Develop a clear strategy for data exchange
Most organizations have a strategic vision, but in many cases how companies share and organize data across the business does not help them realize their vision."Consolidated data contribute to understanding," says Vishal Sarkar, the global leader in digital sales and service at Avanade, a leading provider of innovative digital and cloud services, business solutions and design-based developments. "Wisdom stimulates the actions, which then stimulate the customer experience. Thus, combining disparate systems, which in the past were separate repositories, allows us to do a lot of things to improve the quality of customer service."
Organizations should have a common data plan - one that ensures data availability across all departments and meets the specific needs of the organization's employees. The overall data plan is the basis for the unified work of all employees to achieve common goals.
Create a complete data source
Innovation happens when employees have all the data they need for creativity.Companies that share repositories and make relevant data available to employees are pushing them to unleash their creativity.
"The days of centralized management are a thing of the past, and that's a good thing," says Nick Patiens, co-founder and Vice President of research at 451 Research. "There are many opportunities to engage people and listen to what they want to do and how they want to use technology."
Good ideas often come from the people who work most closely with the data, not necessarily from the top Manager or the relevant Department. Nick gives an example of a restaurant chain where the Department working with the company's data has made excellent suggestions on how to improve the application for the company's smartphones. What did not do marketers?
"They decided what could actually be done based on incoming customer data, and made specific changes to the app, which then led to increased customer loyalty and increased sales," he says. "This is one example where ideas can come from anywhere, but those who are closer to the data can influence how the company promotes its marketing and sells it."
Accept the partnership
Strategic partners can help your company integrate its data and adopt better practices.
A partnership is a "must" in today's business world, says Dan Veich of Aetna International. "I don't think any company can be some kind of isolated and independent island. The worlds of disparate behavior are collapsing."
Partnerships can help you combine your data into a single solution. This is a vital step for digital transformation.
"We are implementing all the cloud technologies that allow us to work with your productivity tool, directly into your customer management tool, your sales tool, and marketing platforms," says Vishal. "If we implement a solution, no one can say that there are several solutions. This is a single solution."
Partnerships and integrations can empower your company and make it more flexible. The Adobe-Microsoft partnership, which combines data, content, and processes into a single solution, is just one example of how companies can deliver unique customer experience at any time and at all points of contact. Another example is the open data initiative, an Alliance between Adobe, Microsoft, and SAP designed to help companies get a complete picture of their customers in real time. These partnerships demonstrate how you can combine disparate tools and platforms and integrate them into a single system.
The way forward
Digital transformation requires real leadership that starts with understanding what you don't know and getting help to fill those gaps.
"The advice I would give to other leaders who are ready for change is to be humble, to ask for help," says Gavin. “Don't be afraid to look in the mirror and say, 'these are the parts of my organization or my team that I want to fix. And don't be afraid to ask for outside help. Often you think you know better than others, but you don't.”
The efficient use of data requires much more than just the installation of new technology. This requires a completely new vision of how to share and integrate data across the enterprise. Sometimes you can handle these efforts within yourself, but other times you may need a strategic partner to realize your vision. Organizational silos never lead to business transformation, so implement a common data plan to better use the information in your business and provide exceptional customer experience.
Translation and adaptation of the Adobe Document Cloud Team article.