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IBM > Case Studies > Building more robust processes and better data governance with a suite of IBM software

Building more robust processes and better data governance with a suite of IBM software

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries

Applicable Industries

Security & Public Safety

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing
Business Operation

Use Cases

Process Control & Optimization
Supply Chain Visibility

Services

System Integration
Software Design & Engineering Services

The Challenge

Control Risks Group, a global risk consultancy, generates a significant portion of its revenue from its subscription services. The company's subscription team is responsible for managing these services, which involves encouraging prospective clients to sign up for a free trial subscription, monitoring the progress of the trial, then moving them to a full service and reminding them to renew or upgrade their subscription when it is due to expire. However, with subscription-related data held in several disconnected systems and governed by a completely manual set of processes, it was difficult for the subscriptions team to keep track of when to contact their clients and prospects. The team wanted to find a better solution.

About The Customer

Control Risks Group is an independent global risk consultancy that specialises in helping organisations manage political, reputational and security risks in complex and hostile environments. The company operates in more than 100 countries, has 34 offices worldwide and employs over 2,000 people. A significant portion of Control Risks Group’s revenue is generated by its subscription services, which provide clients with information and advice on geo-political risks in different countries, and access to a 24/7 global helpline in case a high-risk situation emerges. The company’s subscriptions team is responsible for managing these services.

The Solution

Control Risks Group was already working with IBM on a project that involved the management and integration of its employee and customer data with HR, CRM, ERP and other key systems, and to introduce master data management technology to link up its customer and employee data-sets across all these systems. The company decided to investigate IBM’s business process management offerings too. Working with SAFIRA, an IBM Business Partner that specialises in business process management implementations, Control Risks Group built a highly sophisticated set of automated workflows to govern the subscription team’s trials, new sales and renewals processes. The subscriptions team now has full visibility of where its prospects and customers are in the sales cycle, and clear, automated workflows that make it easy to take the right actions at the right times.

Operational Impact

The subscriptions team now has complete visibility of the sales cycle, with clear, highly automated workflows.
When a key point in the sales cycle is reached, the solution automatically reads and updates data in the relevant systems, and prompts the team to input more information where necessary.
Because the whole workflow is controlled and managed from end to end, the risk of missing an opportunity or taking the wrong action has been virtually eliminated.