The Challenge

The client was undertaking a significant customer experience transformation while also preparing for future changes in the energy market. Customer data was recognised as a critical enabler but also a growing constraint.

Key challenges included:

• Customer data spread across multiple systems with limited integration

• Inconsistent data quality and definitions impacting trust and usability

• Limited ability to personalise customer communications or services

• Operational teams lacking customer context for service delivery and field operations

• Increasing regulatory and reputational risk related to data usage and governance

Without a clear strategy, customer data issues were being addressed reactively, increasing cost, risk, and customer friction.

The Goal

The objective was to develop a practical, actionable Customer Data Strategy that would:

• Support the broader CX transformation program

• Establish a trusted foundation for customer data

• Enable improved customer experience and operational decision-making

• Provide a clear set of priorities to guide future investment

• Create alignment across business, CX, data, and technology teams

The strategy needed to be realistic, outcome-focused, and suitable for execution within a complex, regulated environment.

Our Approach

We partnered closely with business, CX, data, and innovation stakeholders, acting as an independent expert advisor rather than a delivery vendor.

Our approach was deliberately:

• Business and customer outcome focused

• Structured but lightweight

• Collaborative and transparent

The engagement was delivered in two phases:

1. Customer Data Discovery & Landscape Assessment

A high-level review of customer data assets, flows, usage, and constraints, supported by stakeholder engagement and document review.

This phase focused on understanding how data was (and wasn’t) enabling customer experience, operations, and future innovation.

2. Customer Data Strategy Blueprint

Translation of discovery insights into a clear future-state vision, strategic themes, and prioritised initiatives.

All recommendations were framed to support real decision-making and roadmap planning.

The Solution

The engagement resulted in a Customer Data Strategy Blueprint that provided:

• A clear customer-centric vision for the role of data

• Defined future-state customer data capabilities

• Identification of key gaps and risks across the customer data lifecycle

• A prioritised set of customer data initiatives aligned to CX and operational needs

• Guidance on sequencing, dependencies, and organisational alignment

Rather than focusing on specific technologies, the strategy emphasised:

• Trusted customer and premise identity

• Appropriate use of customer data and permissions

• Data governance and regulatory alignment

• Actionable reporting, insights, and activation

• Preparing the foundation for future digital and AI-enabled capabilities

The outcome was a strategy designed to be embedded into delivery, not sit on the shelf.

Results & Impact

The Customer Data Strategy delivered several important outcomes:

• A shared, organisation-wide understanding of customer data priorities

• Clear alignment between customer experience goals and data capabilities

• Reduced risk associated with fragmented data and inconsistent practices

• Improved confidence in investment decisions related to CX and data

• A strong foundation for future customer-centric and data-driven initiatives

Most importantly, the organisation shifted from reactive data fixes to a proactive, strategic approach to customer data as a long-term asset.

Key Takeaway

Customer data strategy is not about platforms or perfection, it’s about trust, clarity, and enabling better decisions across the organisation.

By grounding the strategy in real customer and operational outcomes, the client established a foundation that can evolve with both market change and customer expectations.