Upgraded loyalty program thanks to Big Data
Following a strategic acquisition, our client, a major player in the transportation industry, decided to merge their existing analytics infrastructure with the newly accessible user data to modernize their loyalty program. The creation of an integrated platform bringing together all of the company’s data required a shift towards Big Data technologies to handle the considerable volume of data resulting from this merger.
These new technologies were expected to deliver significant performance gains in an industry where shorter delays are essential to remain competitive and the information extracted from the new data raised new possibilities of partnerships for our client.
Our challenge: merge the analytics platforms to create a unified ecosystem
Integrating an existing data infrastructure into an analytics system is an ambitious project. And for good reason: centralizing a large volume of data, both structured and unstructured, cross-referencing them and making them usable by different business lines could not be considered without the use of Big Data technologies.
It was therefore necessary to rework all the analytical backbone of the department and to review all the procedures that were then in place. It is in this context that we have assisted our client in the operational implementation of their unified data ecosystem:
- Ingestion, integration and centralization of a phenomenal volume of both structured and semi-structured data in an Azure data lake,
- Near real-time data consumption in Snowflake,
- Customized visualization, reports and dashboards with Power BI.
The key to success: change management and agile methodology as asset
Proof of the project’s scale: no less than 9 interdependent teams and more than 70 individuals participated in the creation of this data lake. The main challenge was, therefore, to ensure that the teams were working in harmony. Effective change management based on the agile methodology had to be put in place to facilitate communication between teams, anticipate risks, and deliver value on time.
Our expertise in the creation of this data lake was a real asset in the implementation of this project. Indeed, this type of project can create a stir. Previous experience has enabled us to identify and anticipate many of the risks involved in this type of project, so that the data lake delivers value as quickly as possible.
The benefits of this new integrated platform
A data lake multiplies analytical capabilities. In our client’s case, we can mention many improvements, among which:
- The implementation of marketing operations to improve customer satisfaction (customer support, more effective promotions, etc.), partnerships, and new products using data,
- A more efficient infrastructure: data is consumed in near-real time, enabling faster decision-making and applications (for fraud detection, for example),
- A unified data ecosystem allows our clients to control the entire analytics value chain: different business lines can easily cross-reference different information,
- The creation of dynamic decision-support tools to respond precisely to the specific needs of each team,
- Achieve operational excellence that provides greater adaptability to industry-specific hazards.
Technological environment
- Azure
- Databrick
- Snowflake
- Azure DevOps