05.02.2010

Success factor data maintenance

In a recent analysis the CRM specialist Sensix reveals the potential for optimization in the maintenance of customer databases.

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Martinsried, 6 January 2010_ Those who specifically target their customers create a basis for all further business relations. Consequently, the potential for success of many companies lies in a well-maintained customer database. Therefore, it is even more surprising that customer data are often in a poor condition. This is shown by a current interpretation of the CRM specialist Sensix, who analyses the optimization of databases of ten companies and has thereby detected serious shortcomings..

Here are a few concise examples: In addition to every data record of address the corresponding postcode should be indicated. Yet, this done properly only in 83% of the companies that have been surveyed, i.e. almost one in five addresses shows a lack in this one feature. Moreover, 80% of the companies show an increased amount of untypical additional characters that point to incorrect data. Only three of the companies tested set parameters with regard to the formatting of telephone numbers. As a consequence, 37% of telephone numbers do not correspond to the common notation. A connection to the telephone system is thus made more difficult and involves considerable effort. At the moment, this is a sensitive topic for many firms, as two thirds of the companies that have been surveyed are currently planning to link the CRM system to their telephone system.

Having several customer databases within a company increases the risk of duplicates. The test shows that an unchecked consolidation of databases in all firms tested would result in a very high quote of duplicates – 5%, partly even more than 45%. For around half of all the checked data records an automatic correction can be carried out for the revision of addresses. However, in approximately ten per cent of all cases a manual change would be necessary, as the data cannot be synchronized electronically.

"Due to many years of experience we are not surprised anymore by those poor results. Nevertheless, it is alarming that many firms are negligent in the maintenance of their customer data, especially because this is precisely an area that allows cutting unnecessary costs quickly and easily", reasons Wolfe W. Diener, management board of Sensix AG (plc). "Sensix is an experienced specialist with more than 250 customers whose CRM initiatives it supervises. We advise companies with regard to the choice of the appropriate CRM solution, support them in the implementation, and help them to work efficiently and profitably with their customer data."

About Sensix

Sensix is a European full service provider focused on Customer Relationship Management (CRM). With locations in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna and Zurich, the business supports more than 250 national and international companies in their CRM initiatives in up to 24 countries. Today, Sensix is counted among the biggest dedicated CRM service providers in Central Europe. The scope of services covers the whole value chain of the Customer Relationship Management - ranging from business consulting, development of strategies and the implementation of software solutions of various producers including Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle/Siebel and update, including possible SaaS (Software as a service) offers of these producers, to the complete operations management and outsourcing of the CRM application, as well as the data and content management of the data and information behind it. For more information please visit www.sensix.net.

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