Client name: A major utilities group

Our client was determined to generate a single view of all its customers - numbering millions across several brands. This would provide it with sophisticated intelligence to segment them more efficiently, and so recognise individual requirements and opportunities for cross selling.

Detica was called in to build and implement a complex 'single view' customer data warehouse. After the completion of a pilot project, the client was confident that our solution would allow the benefits of the system to be realised quickly.It was assured that we could roll out the project in the shortest time possible, whilst simultaneously delivering value for money.

After building a pilot database, we integrated data feeds from across the client's brands and channelled them into one huge Europe-wide historical data repository. This intricate, multi-faceted task was completed in just eleven months. The flexibility of the data warehouse architecture has also enabled the client to evolve it to meet the changing demands of the business, including integration with a new Siebel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

The data warehouse provides a sophisticated profile of each of the company's millions of customers, including historical details of every single interaction that has taken place - a colossal amount of intelligence. The system also has a unique matching capability that allows our client to pull together information from a vast number of different platforms.

The architecture implemented by Detica also keeps track of all consumer activity, so that our client can follow how the customer base is changing over time. In this way, the company treats each buyer as an individual and can offer specific recommendations to the right customers at the right time - maximising the sales potential.

Detica's design embodies an innovative approach to customer data consolidation that marks a leap forward in the client's marketing capability. This includes providing in-house marketeers with the ability to hone the targeting of their campaigns and to develop a genuine 'lifetime value model' for their customer base, using data integrated into one view for each.

Since Detica's implementation, our client has, for the first time, a true single view of its customers. This is extremely beneficial as it means that it can tightly segment consumers by value and build marketing, sales and retention strategies appropriate to each. The company now has the information it needs to maximise cross-selling opportunities as customers can be viewed as individuals.

As customer activity can be tracked in minute detail, our client can recognise individual requirements and respond to them with appropriate services, products, offers and campaigns at the right times. In this way, it can ensure that marketing and customer service initiatives are always tightly focused.