SAP launches Customer Data Platform

Modern companies collect more and more customer data from a growing number of sources: contact forms, social media, cookies, IoT devices. Information is most often collected in separate systems that store data but do not allow analyzing consumer behavior, forecasting short- and long-term trends, and making recommendations for future marketing campaigns. The problem with unstructured data is that it is difficult to determine who our customers are, what their needs are and what they expect from the brand, which complicates making a decision.

Why is it worth to integrate distributed data?

The demand for tools allowing unifying customer data grows with the intensive development of modern sales channels and the increasing number of touchpoints that provide brands with new consumer information. Specialized software for building and managing a consistent database of contacts import data from various sources, processes them and creates a comprehensive, 360-degree customer view. The basic sources of information are interactions with the brand through online channels – website visits, participating in a loyalty program, shopping in an online store, as well as offline interactions – promotion events in which the customer has attended personally or shopping in a stationary shop.

The unified data allows gathering customers into segments and then analyzing market needs, optimizing marketing campaigns, and improving sales processes. Using the customer data platform, organizations collect consumer information at every stage of their interaction with the brand to meet their expectations and establish lasting relationships that will result in higher revenues.

The future of marketing and sales automation

This year, SAP has joined the market for customer data platforms. Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE, announced expanding the product portfolio at the SAP Customer Experience Live 2020 conference. The business software market leader offers a solution for aggregating transactional, demographic and behavioral data in one place. The information available through the SAP Customer Data Platform is valuable not only for marketing professionals who need detailed insights to design more effective advertising campaigns but also for sales team representatives who want to lead the discussion on services and products that may be of interest to the customer.

SAP Customer Data Cloud platform was built on the foundation of the SAP Customer Data Cloud solution, which in turn is based on Gigya technology. The functionalities of SAP Customer Identity and Access Management and SAP Enterprise Consent and Preference Management are intended to ensure the protection of personal data, the transparency of information collection and processing procedures and the easier management of customer approvals and preferences.

SAP Customer Data Platform is a product deployed in the cloud, available as software as a service (SaaS) through a subscription and with the possibility of integration with an existing IT landscape. System and software requirements vary depending on the needs of the organization and specific customer scenarios.