Developing Actionable Insights from Disparate, Abundant Data
A global leader in heavy equipment manufacturing has a strong desire to become more customer-focused. Driving this ambition is the need for growth amid pressures such as foreign competition, geographic consolidation, deregulation, and decreasing government subsidies. A multi-billion dollar Division within the Enterprise believes that the translation of data and information into insights and actions is essential to better serve customers and target prospects. Engaging thought leaders across the Enterprise, as well as a industry recognized experts and customers—while protecting intellectual property and meeting tight deadlines—are critical factors to project success.

Based on its experience with content management and customer-centric methodologies, as well as its previous work with the organization, SimpatiCo is selected to lead the Insight Generation and Delivery (IGD) team.

SimpatiCo was a driver and coach through design and practice and into perform. Specific project highlights include the following:

• Designed project approach and methodology; ensured full ownership by client lead and executive champion
• Developed and facilitated four, two-day work sessions with Enterprise thought leaders to: define the term insight, draft guiding principles for insight generation and management, create conceptual model of IGD process, practice and refine the IGD process with pertinent customer and business issues, align with other processes within the Division that rely on insights for execution (e.g., Strategic Planning), and outline recommendations for senior leadership
• Scanned business landscape and within organization for examples of insight generation; distilled learnings and used as input for work sessions
• At the request of the CEO/Chairman, demonstrated the IGD process by analyzing a time-sensitive issue and determining the impacts (quantitative and qualitative) on specific customer segments, as well as the Division in the U.S. and Canada; findings discussed with the Board by the Chairman
• Presented IGD process, insight examples, and recommendations for continued practice and improvement to Division President and his senior staff
• Analyzed five customer/business issues during three practice sessions to improve IGD speed and quality; aggregated and synthesized supporting data (including drafting online and in-person customer surveys, interviewing third party experts, and collaborating with Enterprise leaders), facilitated practice sessions, and summarized output
• Ensured transition from practice to perform by training additional IGD facilitators, compiling detailed knowledge capture, and securing continued involvement of key participants (e.g., participation as part of individual’s performance management)
• Partnered with the Manager of Market Research and Analysis and Director of Strategic Marketing, consulted regularly with 15+ key stakeholders; worked with customers and channel partners

A Division that once felt bogged down by data and information now has the skills and processes to generate actionable insights. Strategic and tactical business decisions within the North American marketing organization are being driven by the IGD team’s efforts, and customers will feel the impact of these decisions within months. Communication of select insights and implications will allow Engineering and Manufacturing to develop appropriate actions in-line with their processes. Additionally, some insights will be leveraged by the Division’s Strategic Planning group applied over a five-15 year time horizon.

Gaining recognition for cross divisional collaboration and quality output, the IGD team has once again been tapped by the CEO to deliver insights on a pressing issue that affects customers and all business units. A bitter sweet moment for SimpatiCo—a founding driver and partner now enjoying the team’s success from a distance.