BOSTON, MA, February 24, 2003 - Extraprise®, the internationally recognized Customer Relationship Management (CRM) consulting firm, today announced the launch of its integrated Marketing Analytics and Automation (MA&A) Practice. Representing the latest addition to Extraprise's portfolio of CRM consulting and integration services, the new MA&A business unit offers a complete range of analysis, strategy, process improvement and technology services designed to better understand and respond to customer opportunities.
Extraprise today also announced an alliance with SPSS Inc. (Nasdaq: SPSS) to provide predictive analytics solutions to their mutual customers. Under the agreement, the companies will work collaboratively with large organizations around the world, enabling them to integrate SPSS' predictive analytics solutions into enterprise-wide CRM initiatives.
Extraprise's MA&A Practice underscores the new revenue and customer loyalty benefits available by combining insights from analytical CRM with the business value of operational CRM implementations. According to market research firm Forrester Research, marketing analytics and automation are expected to be among the fastest growing segments of the market, representing compound annual growth rates of 11.7% ($2.6 billion) and 16.2% ($928 million) respectively through 2007.
Traditionally, companies analyze data from their customer interactions as batch processes on an infrequent basis. These analyses are often managed by company marketing organizations at the conclusion of lead generation programs, and through data mining initiatives. The proliferation of information across disparate marketing and sales channels, combined with the imperatives of real-time business, greatly reduce the timeliness and effectiveness of this approach.
The Extraprise MA&A Practice is built on the premise that understanding customers requires an integrated approach that uses real-time analysis of interaction data to create more responsive business processes, automated by leading CRM technology. Under the direction of MA&A Practice Director Lisa Henderson, Extraprise provides a range of services in marketing analytics, business process improvement, change management and technology implementation. Henderson joined Extraprise in 2002 with the acquisition of CRM professional services firm, Berkeley Enterprise Partners, where she served as vice president of client services.
The MA&A Practice has developed an expanded version of the company's consulting methodology, The Extraprise Way, to deliver its services. Extraprise has added a new CRM Maturity Model module to its methodology, thus addressing all stages of the CRM life cycle: creating a vision;
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producing quick-win efforts to establish foundational CRM capability;
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deploying new business processes and an enterprise-wide technology solution;
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training and change management; and,
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ongoing improvement.
"Too many companies have applied CRM technology without a clear understanding of its value to customers," Henderson said. "Having a real-time understanding of customer information, and developing more effective interaction processes to capitalize on that understanding, are the missing pieces in delivering demonstrable business value through companies' marketing, sales and service organizations."
In addition to SPSS, Henderson's practice works closely with Extraprise's existing technology partners Siebel Systems and E.piphany in both marketing analytics and automation engagements.
"Most consulting organizations have separate practices for the analytical and operational aspects of CRM, which results in many insights getting lost in the transition between projects," said Extraprise Chairman and CEO Ken Marshall. "With this new practice, Extraprise is among the first to offer a holistic solution to clients. Our approach ensures that there is a consistent focus on achieving business value and improving the customer experience."
Extraprise® is a leading systems integrator and business process outsourcer specializing in customer management. The company's "Insight-to-Interaction" (or "i2i") solutions combine data management, business insight, demand generation, and customer management. Clients use Extraprise services to make their customer insights actionable throughout their marketing, sales, and service channels. Solutions are available on premise and as on demand services at the company's hosting centers. Extraprise is headquartered in Boston with offices in the U.S. and Europe. Extraprise is on the Web at www.extraprise.com.
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