CCM: A Service Opportunity for Printers

Gina Ferrara of Madison Advisors.

In “CCM as a Service? What Every Service Provider Needs to Know” during PRINTING United, Gina Ferrara of Madison Advisors laid the groundwork for commercial printers to add this valuable service to their offerings.

Customer Communications Management (CCM) depends on core components that need to be addressed. Data, for example, can be structured or unstructured, wherever it resides, such as in an admin system, a CRM, or a third party. “Data is the key to the kingdom,” she said, underlying its importance.

Preference management, Ferrara said, is a really big challenge because of the silos present within some companies. Companies also have to look at their outputs, such as print, email, the Web, etc. “Print is still a very trusted channel,” she said, and is an opportunity for utilizing this data for the customer.

Technology is one of the biggest challenges faced by enterprises in managing customer data. Legacy systems, multiple data sources, and third-party point solutions are just a few issues that create a disjointed technology infrastructure. Unless dealt with, it results in inefficient workflow, redundant processes, and IT and software maintenance costs.

Ferrara identified corporate acquisitions, technological patches, lines of business silos, organization “ownership” of responsibilities, and regulatory changes as some of the causes for CCM systems that don’t work for the customer.