German Bank Serves Up CRM Analytics

Germany's DGZ-DekaBank is using customer relationship management software to analyze and segment its online clients in real-time.

In August, DekaBank began rolling out DD Series, an analytical CRM product from Amsterdam-based DataDistilleries, to analyze client data from its 250,000 online accounts and assess what new products and services it could offer customers. DekaBank expects the system to be fully operational within the next three to four months.

DekaBank chose DD Series to enhance its online activities and because it's easily integrated into the bank's CRM infrastructure, according to Matthias Fritz, program manager, e-services at DekaBank. DD Series' fast and flexible customer segmentation enables DekaBank to offer customer-specific services and products, he added. DD Series works in conjunction with the bank's CRM system from Siebel Systems.

Based in Frankfurt and Berlin, DekaBank is one of Germany's leading financial institutions, with five million accounts and a balance sheet of 77 billion euros.

Analytics is one of the fastest growing CRM segments. Spending on analytical CRM, or aCRM, grew 90.3% from 1999 to 2000, and is expected to hit $467.3 million by 2005, according to International Data Corp.

What sets DD Series apart from other aCRM products is its ability to make recommendations in a real-time environment, said Steve Bale, senior vice president of worldwide operations at DataDistilleries.

The product enables marketers to prepare population segmentation and targeting for outbound campaigns.

Sitting between a company's data and its operational CRM system, DD Series pores over the data and builds predictive models about customers' behavior and needs, which can then be used to market products and services.

DD Series leverages customer data from all sources throughout the enterprise, including customer databases, transaction data and other sources. Data is continually collected and analyzed, enabling organizations to capture valuable knowledge about customer needs and preferences. The system generates customer profiles that identify the most profitable customers, the most effective channels, and the best product offers.

The product integrates with existing multichannel CRM systems, forming the core of a customer-centric enterprise.

All business channels connect to DD Series, providing employees with easy access to accurate and up-to-the-minute customer knowledge. Its open and flexible architecture enables interactive personalization across both traditional and e-business channels. This support of combined click-and-mortar strategies guarantees a consistent enterprise-wide customer focus.

DD Series' real-time recommendations engine, DD/Dsire, enables call center representatives and Web sites to immediately react to customer needs and behavior with highly personalized product offers, all at the click of a button.

DataDistilleries, which has alliances with Siebel, BroadVision and Accenture, opened a New York office in October.

The company's financial service clients include ABN AMRO and Postbank, part of the ING Group.