Ultimate Guide on Choosing a Customer 360 Focussed Data Platform

The customer data platform you intend to select will be using data from various departments within your organization. You need to confirm the data from which departments the CDP will handle. So, you need to bring in all the stakeholders. Their inputs must be included in various stages of the buying and implementing of the CDP within your organization.  

Determine the use cases 

CDP may be generally used for consolidating your data into a single database, but what you aim to attain through consolidation must be determined. Brainstorm with the stakeholders to find the appropriate use cases for your CDP. If the use cases are properly defined, and CDP implemented and bought, you can create a data drive organization.  

Some use cases of the CDP may be 

• Improving the customer experience of the processes and services  
• Ease out data collection, storage, processing, and retrieval  
• Help in having advanced analytics for your data  
• Coordinate workflows and processes in a better manner for higher efficiency  
• End data siloes and gaps invisibility  
• Real-time availability of vital data for various activities like marketing campaigns, events, meet, customer service, etc.  

Decide the customer interaction tools 

You need to decide the tools connected to your CDP, which will be used for interaction with your customers. It may include live chats, websites, help desk systems, alert systems, email platforms, and others. With the right CDP and a set of customer interaction tools along with analytics, you can have a 360-degree view of your customer. You can fine-tune the customer experience during their journey. Right CDP creates a unified profile of your customer and provides a seamless experience through linked devices. Getting the right set of customer interaction tools is the starting point.

Extensions for integrations with the right tools 

Your CDP should be easily integrated with tools like 

• Live chat 
• Business Intelligence tools 
• Data warehouses 
• Analytics and advertising tools and so on. 

Have a session with the stakeholders on the tools and technologies you wish to integrate with your CDP for improved customer experience. Look for the CDP details and offerings to match your expectations of the integration of functionalities. If your CDP already has those integrations, you are well on the path to creating a valuable asset for your organization. 

Security factors 

Ensure that your CDP has the level of security needed to ensure the protection of your sensitive data. Ensure that your CDP helps you in meeting all the compliance requirements like GDPR, CCPA, etc.  

To ensure that you have a 360-degree customer-focused data platform, you need to address the following questions with your stakeholders and vendors. 

• Is the CDP capable of capturing customer profiles?  
• Is it able to capture customer interaction and transaction data?  
• Does the CDP have all the necessary integration to improve customer experience?  
• Does the CDP enlist all the sources from where the data is percolating, and how often do such data need to be updated?  
• Will the CDP help in matching, merging, customization, and removing duplication from customer data?  

• Are the customer data security concerns aptly addressed through the CDP?  
• Can the CDP be scaled if new branches or social channels are to be added?  

There can be many more questions that can be added from a customer experience point of view. For expert consultation on this, you can book your free appointment with iSmile Technologies.