In the approach of streamlining and fostering customer personalized relationships, companies have to go through a paramount milestone : building a 360° customer view. Customer Data Platform (CDP) aims at helping to gather data sets from all sources, process and release actionable customers data.
Salesforce data cloud is a platform that allows organizations to create a comprehensive view of their customers by integrating data from applications within Salesforce as well as various other external sources. With Data Cloud, Salesforce stands by its pledge of delivering a CRM + Data + AI platform.
Data Cloud has all the attributes of a data factory also called a data pipeline. Compared to other data platforms, Data Cloud is 100% customer centric and accordingly delivered dedicated services to build the unified customer view mentioned. As usual, Salesforce put on the market an integrated CDP (with CRM) easy to implement and maintain, that will be used as the data foundation of many new added value business processes.
As an example, with Data Cloud, Salesforce has gained access to an extensive database of 1.2 billion customer records sourced from over 60 different data streams, encompassing transactions, communication history, service requests, and more. This influx of data into Data Cloud has enabled the company to streamline its operations by reducing duplicate records and consolidating over 52% of its customer profiles, ultimately facilitating the creation of a unified view of its customers.
Implementing Salesforce Data Cloud involves a structured process from data ingestion to activation. The steps will be explained clearly in the following section.
Firstly, data is ingested in either Batch or Streaming to Data Cloud from sources such as cloud systems, CRM and websites. The source data helps provide the basic resources required for unlocking the business value from each operational function.
Next, the Harmonization stage which involves consolidating varied data fields, formats, dimensions, and columns into unified datasets. If needed, a data structure transformation can be leveraged to further enhance the comparability, data cleanliness, standardization, and consistency across diverse sources to facilitate efficient analysis and decision-making which improves the trustworthiness of the business.
Data Cloud hence enables us to address data harmonization in an intelligent and efficient manner.
Identity resolution is the next stage of the process, which refers to the unique representation of an entity in a dataset, such as a customer, product, or device. This step involves assigning and managing unique identifiers as well as mapping identities to ensure data consistency and accuracy, which in turn reduces data duplication and sound business decisions.
After this step, insights can be extracted from the data. These insights are generated from the lake house architecture, allowing rapid access to organized data and facilitating well-informed decision-making. Data Cloud offers advanced analytics capabilities, relying on Einstein or best in class Data Platforms to release AI-driven insights. These capabilities enable organizations to uncover valuable insights, identify trends, and predict future outcomes, giving them a competitive edge in their industry.
Segmentation occurs next in the Data Cloud. It’s a vital practice that involves filtering customer data into distinct segments for a better understanding of the entire population. Lifestyle choices, location and personal identifiers are thus used to highlight their preferences. Marketers would then be empowered to best tailor their offerings to fulfill customers’ needs.
Finally, activation occurs by utilizing unified profiles to personalize customer experiences across various Salesforce products, driving engagement and satisfaction through targeted marketing and sales efforts.
By leveraging real-time data and a lake house architecture, Data Cloud democratizes access to data across different Salesforce clouds, enhancing the overall customer experience. The benefits of Data Cloud include improved data management capabilities, customized customer insights, and the ability to personalize customer experiences across various industries such as healthcare and retail.
For instance, in a healthcare scenario, immediate access to a patient's latest information empowers healthcare providers to deliver timely guidance and care recommendations during critical emergencies. In such instances, even slight delays can significantly impact outcomes, potentially leading to diminished healthcare efficacy and other severe repercussions.
Additionally, Data Cloud facilitates automated workflows, AI-powered analytics such as Einstein AI, and seamless integration with other Salesforce products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud to drive better results and cost savings for businesses. Trusted customer data is crucial for leveraging generative AI effectively, with 58% of workers emphasizing its importance. This integration helps simplify the generation of comprehensive reports and the execution of in-depth analyses across all facets of operations.
BaybridgeDigital offers expertise in deploying Salesforce Data Cloud across various business scenarios. Data Cloud can revolutionize customer engagement and drive business growth. A use case shows a multinational retail chain client which seeks to enhance its customer experience and increase sales through personalized marketing strategies. A study by Salesforce reveals that nearly half of the 1,300 surveyed retailers face challenges in accessing their data, with only 42% effectively connecting disparate data silos. This lack of data connectivity can lead to ineffective or inaccurate outputs from artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Moreover, 40% of retailers are grappling with utilizing their data for decision-making purposes and 47% are encountering difficulties in making their data accessible. These statistics underscore the prevalent struggles within the retail industry regarding data accessibility, integration, and utilization, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues to leverage AI effectively and make informed business decisions.
Utilizing Data Cloud, the retail chain consolidates customer data from various sources, including online transactions, in-store purchases, loyalty programs, and social media interactions. By harmonizing and standardizing this data, the chain creates comprehensive customer profiles that capture preferences, purchase history, browsing behavior, and demographic information.
With this unified view of the customer, the retail chain employs advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to generate actionable insights. By segmenting customers based on their preferences, shopping habits, and lifecycle stage, the chain can tailor marketing campaigns and promotions to target specific audience segments effectively.
With a unified view of the customer achieved through Salesforce's Data Cloud, the retail chain utilizes advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to derive actionable insights. By segmenting customers based on preferences, shopping habits, and lifecycle stage, the chain customizes marketing campaigns and promotions to effectively target specific audience segments. However, the failure to unify and harmonize data poses a significant challenge for retailers. Only a small percentage of survey participants in the Salesforce study, specifically 17%, indicated that they possess a comprehensive and unified perspective of their customers while effectively utilizing their data.
This issue can lead to a retailer's generative AI model producing ineffective or inaccurate results, potentially generating responses tainted with toxicity and biases. Despite 67% of retailers claiming full capability in capturing customer data, only 39% express confidence in cleaning the data thoroughly, while just 42% feel fully equipped to harmonize it for optimal use.
For example, the chain identifies a group of high-value customers who frequently purchase premium watches. Leveraging Data Cloud, the chain analyzes their browsing behavior and identifies a growing interest in this particular product. In response, the chain launches a targeted email campaign promoting exclusive discounts on these items, enticing these customers to make additional purchases.
Furthermore, Data Cloud enables the retail chain to track customer engagement across multiple channels in real-time as part of the activation stage. By monitoring interactions on the website, mobile app, social media platforms, and in-store visits, the chain gains valuable insights into customer preferences and behavior, allowing for timely adjustments to marketing strategies and product offerings.
As a result of deploying Data Cloud, the retail chain client experiences significant improvements in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and sales revenue. By delivering personalized experiences tailored to individual preferences, the chain strengthens customer relationships and establishes itself as a trusted retail destination, driving long-term success in a competitive market landscape.
BayBridgeDigital offers trained and certified Salesforce Data Cloud professionals that are able to help your company with your Data Cloud implementation. These professionals are certified Business Analysts in Data Cloud and are ready to help you kick off your data cloud journey.
We offer end to end data transformation services, from data strategy and design to the final implementation of the Data Cloud. Being an accredited Salesforce Partner, our committed team focuses on planning, strategizing, and designing customized Salesforce solutions to elevate productivity and enrich digital engagements.
Through collaborative efforts with clients, we identify objectives and craft tailored strategic frameworks aligned with their unique requirements. Additionally, we provide a range of data cloud package solutions tailored to match the data needs of each client.
In Salesforce Data Cloud, data harmonization is achieved through the process of aggregating, standardizing, and integrating data from various sources within the Salesforce platform. This involves reconciling discrepancies in data fields, formats, and dimensions to ensure consistency and coherence across datasets. By harmonizing data, Salesforce Data Cloud ensures that information is clean, standardized, and consistent, enabling effective analysis and decision-making.
Salesforce Data Cloud offers businesses improved data management and helps provide a unified view of customer data for deeper insights and personalized experiences. Its seamless integration with other Salesforce products and third-party applications drives efficiency and cost savings.
BayBridgeDigital offers certified Salesforce data cloud professionals that are able to help your company with their data cloud implementation. Being an accredited Salesforce Partner, our committed team focuses on planning, strategizing, and designing customized Salesforce solutions to elevate productivity and enrich digital engagements.
