I was asked at a sales pitch the other day to list out the most important factors a client needs to consider when implementing an Analysis and Campaigning system. I thought this was a really good question, as until a system is delivered, it won’t produce a return on investment.

Off the top of my head, I listed out the first three points below, and after a bit of reflection on the journey home, I think that the fourth also needs to be added to the list.

Thorough Scoping

Once a supplier is chosen, the initial scoping activity to really uncover, document and agree exactly what the new system will look like, is absolutely crucial. This means making sure key personnel from the business and technical teams are available to discuss their needs. The Lead Consultant from the supplier will generally lead this exercise and help the client articulate their needs. These scoping sessions, often one or two days of detailed workshops, ensure that areas such as data structures, data engineering, typical campaigns, reports required and system users are understood at a detailed level, rather than just a superficial one. I’ve never found that time spent on scoping is wasted.

The scoping is also likely to identify areas for initial development and those which the client wishes to implement later.

Focus on Realistic Quick Wins

With any new system, there is always a period of adjustment. Therefore, I’m a strong believer in ensuring there are opportunities for getting in place realistic quick wins, and not trying to be too ambitious too quickly. For instance, although you might want to move to multi-phase, multi-channel activity targeted at tens of different segments, this might be too ambitious from day one. By being more realistic with your ambitions, and focusing on carefully planned testing strategies, I’ve found that key learnings are more easily understood, providing a solid knowledge base for further roll out.

Continuous Evolution

Although I’m suggesting that you shouldn’t be too ambitious straightaway, I firmly believe the best implementations plan for continuous development. This can be built into an implementation via the use of regular ‘planning and review’ meetings. At these, the client and the supplier should push each other to evolve the system and continue to test and learn.

It is all too easy once a system is in place, to sit back and pat each other on the back knowing that you are able to run more effective campaigns with the new system. However, this loss of momentum prevents the maximum benefit of a system being obtained.

Tight Project Management

As with any successful project, tightly managing all activities is critical. Having an appointed project team with clear roles is vital for success. A project manager should be appointed to take ownership of actions and fix up regular progress meetings. Generally, the project manager is from the supplier, but I’ve also seen successful implementations where a specialist from the client takes on this role, albeit working closely with the supplier.

If these simple steps are followed, the implementation of analysis and campaign systems should rapidly start to deliver excellent return on investment.

About Roger Luxton

Roger Luxton has written 5 post in this blog.

Roger Luxton is a Principal Business Solutions Consultant with Alterian, and he works with partners and clients to help them optimize the use of marketing software across different channels. His particular passion is using data to drive insight and ultimately deliver better marketing activity.

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