Customer Knowledge in All Forms

Many companies have varied sources of customer information, the consolidation of which to create operational customer knowledge remains a real challenge. A cultural, organizational, technical and skills development challenge.

“Customer knowledge in all its forms”. This title must be read literally: the multiple states of customer knowledge. Most large companies today have numerous channels that deliver information from customers and markets.

We spontaneously think:

• At the CRM,
• Watching or listening to social networks,
• In marketing studies,
• Feedback from customer service (including after-sales service),
• Feedback from sales teams,
• To feedback from distributors,
• Etc, the list can be long.

These channels are often housed in distinct departments which, even in transforming companies, continue to make their conversion into 360 knowledge complex.

360 degree knowledge?
Each channel (CRM, digital monitoring, studies) has its strengths but also its limitations because it only covers part of the understanding. CRM accurately traces behaviors but remains deaf to the motivations and emotions of consumers, digital monitoring makes it possible to detect trends in real time, but can lack depth, etc.). As with any investigation, it is the crossing of several indices from several sources (by combining the advantages of each) which makes it possible to draw up an operational assessment of customer knowledge on a given subject and to converge towards real customer centrality.

What is this challenge?
The challenge is probably that today these customer information feedback channels only deliver part of the knowledge and are restricted by three factors:

• Structural factors which mean that the organization has not necessarily scripted the systematic and proactive circulation of information: in what format? at what time? etc.
• Knowledge factors which mean that the ability to cross-reference and synthesize information from several sources (each source requiring a certain level of mastery: knowing how to use social media listening, knowing how to request a CRM, etc.) requires that an analyst can really know the mode of operation of each channel but also have the necessary skills to cross-reference these channels (principle of managing customer insights),
• Finally, psychological brakes which mean that sharing this information can sometimes be seen as the renunciation of a share of prerogative and territory for those who have control over a channel.

Cultural transformation

Progress on these different aspects is certainly a vital issue for many companies and unfortunately, thinking that an additional layer of “AI” will come and do this specific work remains for the moment still a hope which is not a strategy. Meeting this challenge requires decision-making in a cultural transformation program:

• Create human conditions to limit as much as possible territorial resistance which prevents the circulation of knowledge. This is the role of a strong managerial impulse with a convincing vision,
• Technically organize the flow of information from different channels. It is both a strategic question (what training, when all what format depending on the issues) and technical (linked to the information system),
• Develop the capacity and skills of analysts to quickly generate operational customer insights based on their simultaneous mastery of information from different channels.

These three projects require a long-term plan and not just the impulse of a moment, because it is indeed a cultural transformation that is necessary.