Aziz knows that making data the guiding factor is no mean feat. “It is a totally different way of working and everyone has to get used to that. However, the motivation is clear. Smart use of data sources provides us with more focus and better results. And we need to do that, because the world around us is changing rapidly. Many fields are shifting their focus to data. Marketeers, for example, can no longer do without data, which shows them via which channel, at which time and with which message they can best reach a customer.” VodafoneZiggo is already making significant progress. Aided by training courses, tools and support, marketeers and many other colleagues are working more and more on the basis of data. “We have also put the approach high on VodafoneZiggo’s agenda. Data-driven working is now among the core values of the company.”
Four pillars
“Our digital strategy has two clear goals”, explains Aziz. “To serve our customers better and help employees to perform even better. In order to achieve this, we are using four pillars. They are bringing about change individually and together they are causing a complete transformation.”
“The first pillar is ‘Agile’. A working method that is not digital in itself, but which does tie in with a digital way of thinking. Controlled, measured and documented. That is why it’s the ideal link. The second pillar is a mindset that we call ‘Customer-Centric’. Putting our customers first, therefore, in all respects. The third pillar is called ‘Digital First’ and is about how we approach our customers; always via a digital channel first. This ties in perfectly with Customer-Centric, because customers want nothing more than fast solutions and answers, via all the digital channels that exist.”
“The final pillar is called ‘Data-Driven’ and stems from my field of expertise. From the Data & Analytics domain, we support colleagues throughout the organisation with data and insights, such as the marketeer who wants to set up a campaign or the customer journey expert who wants to improve a specific part of a customer journey. We make our data accessible to them; a wealth of information with which they can give their performance a boost. In addition, we ensure that they learn how to interpret data themselves. And even more important: converting that data into insights with which they can better achieve their goals.”
How they come to life
“The colleagues who work within the Data & Analytics domain, of whom there are more than two hundred, are already of great value to VodafoneZiggo. However, we will make even more impact if all people in the company work on the basis of the insights that data provides. The question is, however, where do you start as an employee? A good first step is to attend a training course on Qlik, which will teach you how to read and interpret data. However, you will only truly use data if you know which goal you want to achieve and how data can help you with that. That is why we organise inspiration sessions and we allow people to join Agile teams. They learn to actively contribute ideas there about the most useful deployment of data.
“We also have a programme – Go Data-Driven – with which we train our people leaders in the data-driven way of working. They learn to translate data into testable insights, which can be used to take decisions or come into action. The more skilled you become herein, the greater the value it yields. Another way to put our pillars into practice is via our data-driven products and insights. In this way, our technicians gain relevant insights that enable them to help the customer faster and more effectively. Is a customer suffering from slow internet due to a damaged cable at home? If so, our technician will see that at a glance and he/she can solve the problem straight away. In this way, data is increasingly becoming part of the daily practice.”
From convincing to acting
“In the past two years, we primarily worked on the following mindset within VodafoneZiggo: familiarising everyone with the digital transformation that we envision. And even more important, showing what the value of that is. We have succeeded in doing that. We are now in the second phase: doing it even more with as many employees as possible. The Data-Driven pillar plays an important role herein. Data is truly the main focus now with every decision and at every level. As a result of this, our customers will notice that a lot more too. Believe me, that will be a pleasant surprise!”
Has your data-driven mindset already been fueled? In the coming series of articles, we will reveal a lot more about the data-driven transformation of VodafoneZiggo. You will gain a glimpse into our digital kitchen via use cases. And you will see what we are doing to ensure data-driven working becomes embedded in our DNA.
VodafoneZiggo is in the midst of a data driven transformation. Aziz Mohammadi, Director Advanced Analytics, gives an update. How data driven is the company now? “The value of data-driven is clear to everyone now. And we are pressing ahead. Step by step, we are becoming an organisation that thinks and acts on the basis of data.”