This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
The power of data in delivering for the customer.
When British mathematician, Clive Humby, first referred to data as ‘the new oil’ in 2006, he wasn’t just drawing a parallel between the value of the two commodities; he was also pointing out that the value of data, just like oil, lies in what you do with it. When he made the comment, almost 20 years ago, the level of data we can have at our fingertips was a fraction of what it is today, but the principle is truer than ever – data matters, and how we use it matters even more.
Consumer models
At Catapult, that principle is a cornerstone of our business model, from how we operate through to how we deliver exceptional service and unparalleled value for our customers. Data on its own is a commodity, and we are meticulous in how we gather it, store it and protect it. But using data to drive operational efficiency and transparent customer service elevates it to one of the most valuable assets in our business.
In consumer markets, that concept is already widely accepted and leveraged by successful brands. Take the Domino’s Pizza app, for example. From the minute a customer places their order, they can track its progress, from the oven, to the driver, to the door. Why should a customer’s business-critical print order deserve any less attention to detail and accountability than a pizza?
Meanwhile, Amazon has built a global empire by harnessing the power of data to both elevate service levels and drive sales. Customers can track their order, communicate, cancel and re-order in real time. Meanwhile, all the data the retailer is collecting allows them to make suggestions for additional purchases and build a profile of what the customer wants and how they behave.
Quicker and slicker
At Catapult, collecting and analyzing data is fundamental to our mission of offering a label printing service that is quicker and slicker than any other provider in the US. It allows us to have complete transparency of live orders and where they are up to, enabling us to optimize machine use, avoid downtime, schedule urgent orders and remain responsive to customers’ needs. Thanks to the data we’re collecting, tracking, and analyzing, we can map commercial trends, enabling us to anticipate any spikes in demand, for example, and manage our stockholding accordingly.
For our customers, our data gathering and analytics capabilities provide a candy store of possibilities, where the customer can select what they need and want from what’s on offer. Whatever management information works for each individual customer, we can provide it – in real time – and they can access it whenever they need to with their secure log-in to our unique, purpose-built Crystal system, which digitizes management of everything from artwork approval to inventory management.
And the best part is that the same data powers what we do, as well as the information we provide to customers. There is no top-secret data set for us, and a customer-facing version for external stakeholders; we are completely transparent with our customers because we know how important accurate, real-time information is for them in running their own operations and managing their own customer relationships.
Customer benefits
Understanding our customers’ needs is core to providing a tailored service that responds to those needs for every customer. In any industry, it’s the companies that understand, anticipate and deliver what the customer wants that have the potential to disrupt and stay ahead of the sector. Harnessing the power of data and digitizing the print process have enabled Catapult to be that disruptor.
In an industry where customers have traditionally been expected to accept long lead times, broken promises and poor communication, Catapult’s can-do culture and at-your-fingertips data have enabled us to be more agile and accountable, making life easier for our customers and giving them tangible commercial benefits, over and above our low prices and short lead times. For example, data gathering has enabled us to build a product library, making it easy to run repeat jobs. It also enables trend mapping, so that we can advise customers on re-order times and procurement patterns.
Ultimately, our data gathering, tracking and analytics enable customers to make faster, more evidence-based decisions with lower risk, so that they can run their own operations more efficiently, with the right amount of label stock on site, or on order, at any given time. Labels may only be a small part of what they do, but the management information we provide can help them free up cash flow and storage space with the associated positive impact on their commercial and operational management.
Optimizing the value
From gasoline to plastics, oil has a huge range of possibilities when handled correctly. Data does too, and Catapult is able to extract the most valuable data and process it in a way that delivers a market-leading service, and an array of additional benefits for our customers.