A low-priced data mining tool for marketing managers
A new suite of software tools for data mining, analysis and geographical database mapping has been released by UK-based Data Processing Company (DPC). The PC-based ZipCounts v3 release includes data completion tools and a graphical interface for mapping and query building.
The new system, which caught The Wise Marketer's attention at the CRM 2002 exhibition at Earl's Court in London, is aimed at both middle management and ground-level staff who need quick access to key business data. It boasts a wide range of capabilities which provide easy access to market targeting, strategic planning, in-depth analysis and management reporting.
Data completion The high-end edition of the software - at around £20,000 - contains a 'Zipper' tool which adds data fields to any existing data source, allowing the data to be analysed by region, demographics, customer behaviour and a number of other data patterns. Low end versions (for as little as £3,000) for small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) provide the analysis and reporting capabilities but DPC handle the data completion operation instead. The company also offers a number of extra data completion and processing services which can further improve the accuracy of analysis.
Every CRM, marketing or customer database holds products, offers, sales history and customer information. DPC's software uses any information it can find in those databases to establish patterns and trends in sales, customer lifetime value and other standard business metrics. With RFM (recency, frequency and monetary value) calculations built in, and the ability to apply the Pareto principle (the 80/20 rule), DPC aims to help businesses of any size understand their customer base - improving profitability, increasing sales, acquiring new and more profitable customers, and reducing costs.
Cost benefits When you understand your customers, their characteristics and behaviour, you can produce tightly targeted marketing and business strategies for future operations and promotions. The software carries five main benefits:· A clearer understanding of customers· In-depth understanding of product performance and sales· Better targeted marketing campaigns with less waste· More repeat sales and cross-sales opportunities· Better response rates by targeting smaller, more precise prospect groups· Integrates with any existing database system
DPC supports its licensed users from order to implementation, providing pre-installation advice, staff training, in-line user guidance and a remote help-desk for more complex issues. After the UK-based Leeds and Holbeck Building Society recently implemented the suite of tools, its management reported that massive amounts of data were being processed in very short spaces of time, enabling the society to quantify and analyse its existing data more effectively than was previously possible.
Summary of features The ZipCounts software is built on ease of use and practicality, combining statistical functionality with a click-and-drag interface. It aims to allow managers and marketers alike to view, explore, analyse, segment, map, save and export key business information on a simple desktop PC. Features include:
- In-built key business indicators for RFM, loyalty and Pareto deciles, optional CACI ACORN demographics, user-definable data set selections, 'logic tree' selections and drag-and-drop Boolean logic selections;
- Results displayed as counts, cross-tabulations or customisable charts;
- Built-in mapping of UK geographical data (based on postcodes) from postal area level down to post sector level;
- Data 'drill down' in any table to examine related data tables and records;
- Export selections for mailing with optional tagging for future response evaluation;
- Large campaigns can be built from many small data segments, whilst automatically eliminating duplicated records;
- Graphical mapping for market analysis, aimed at UK-based SMEs.
reporting.
More Info: